• The New York Times, Wednesday, May 21, 2008 10 AM

In order to combat the spread of TiVo and other ad-skipping technologies, advertisers are turning to the tried-and-true approach of live commercials.

Ads that were performed live, often by the stars of the program itself, were the norm in the early days of TV, but fell out of favor as production values and budgets increased. But in an age when "engagement" is all the rage, marketers are finding the spontaneity and novelty of live ads work to keep an audience from passing the fast-forward button.

As of now, most of the live spots have taken place during late-night programming, occasionally using talk-show hosts like Jimmy Kimmel and Conan O'Brien. But networks are expressing an interest in doing them during prime time as well.

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