By Helen Keelan, Head of Sales, General Market Europe at LG Ad Solutions
First impressions have always mattered in media, and today they happen sooner than many advertisers realise. In the days of linear TV, the coveted “first in break” slot was everything. Now, in a streaming-first world, that decisive moment comes before a show even starts.
Viewers can spend an average of 10 minutes browsing before deciding what to watch – plenty of time for brands to make an impression. It’s a moment of undivided attention, when people are actively engaging with content. The Home Screen isn’t just another placement in a media plan. It’s the first environment viewers see when they turn on their TV – where browsing begins and brands show up before any content starts.
And yet, many media plans still treat the Home Screen as an afterthought, or simply an extension of in-show inventory. With an approach that’s creative, interactive, and grounded in measurement, advertisers can turn this high-engagement space into a powerful driver of both attention and action.
Be bold on the big screen
The average Smart TV screen is around 55 inches, which instantly changes the rules of engagement. When an ad takes over the top portion of the screen, it’s not subtle – it’s a high-impact placement with the ability to expand into full-screen video and audio. LG Ad Solutions report shows its effectiveness: around 85% of viewers find Home Screen ads clear and brand building, while nearly two-thirds go on to take action after seeing them.
Attention is high, viewers are already in decision-making mode, and the research found that viewers exposed to Home Screen ads were 3x more likely to recognize a brand. Taken together, that positions the Home Screen as a clear starting point in the viewer journey.
As brands become more confident in the space, the real opportunity lies in how they use the Home Screen. It’s one of the most flexible and creative new canvases on the Smart TV, making it the ideal place to experiment. By digging into audience insights and tailoring creative accordingly, brands can test what actually works; whether that’s interactive formats, bold visual storytelling, or content that plays into the moment. This isn’t about trial and error. With structured testing, scaled data, and close collaboration between platform and advertiser, brands can make informed creative decisions grounded in evidence rather than opinions.
Hit home with impact
So, how can brands make the most of this prime advertising inventory? It starts with the obvious: use the space. An ad takes up a third of the screen, so the creative needs to be designed to command attention. Then there’s functionality, and this is where Smart TV really comes into its own. Interactive elements such as click throughs to landing pages invite viewers to explore more.
Urgency also matters. Time-sensitive offers, dynamic, animated creative, and regularly refreshed messaging all help Home Screen ads stand out in a space that viewers return to on average three times per day.
Above all, this is an environment where entertainment pays off. Human-centric creative performs well because it meets viewer expectations at this stage of the viewing journey. When interactivity is layered in, recognition can be nearly 4x higher than with non-interactive formats. And while creativity does the heavy lifting, the fundamentals still count – a clear, well-placed call to action can increase purchase intent more than tenfold.
Test, learn, improve
For all its unique advantages, the Smart TV Home Screen follows the same core principle as any effective media channel: testing and measurement aren’t optional. Across the CTV mix, different formats, messages, placements and environments will resonate with different audiences, and without a structured test-and-learn approach, brands are effectively guessing.
Rather than viewing activity in silos, it helps to step back and look at the bigger picture. The Home Screen is the connective layer within the wider CTV ecosystem – linking streaming apps, on-demand content and linear viewing. When insights from Home Screen performance are combined with data from video, digital and social channels, campaigns become more cohesive and more effective. Combining performance data with viewer insights enables smarter precision, driving stronger results across the funnel.
Crucially, the Smart TV Home Screen isn’t just another ad slot. It’s the entry point to the entire CTV experience, guiding attention, shaping engagement and influencing what viewers do next. Brands willing to invest, measure and innovate here have a real opportunity to stand out.
Those that approach the Home Screen with the same strategic rigor applied to other core channels are likely to see stronger, more consistent outcomes over time. That means designing creative specifically for the format and building campaigns around structured measurement and optimisation.
Rather than treating it as an add-on, advertisers should consider the role the Home Screen plays within the broader TV experience – influencing awareness, consideration, recall and purchase intent across formats and moments.
