ITV has announced the formation of a partnership with smartphone app Shazam, which will enable advertisers to make their 30-second TV spots interactive.

The app, which has more than 200 million users worldwide, is a piece of software that enables users to identify songs using pattern recognition, and has already been used to bolster TV ad campaigns in the United States.

Viewers with the app in the UK will be able to use the service to enter competitions, get additional brand or product information, view special content or download free music simply by "listening" to the enhanced ads via Shazam.

Reporting on the success of its interactive ads in the States over the last year, Shazam said: “0.3 per cent of (viewers) Shazam’d the commercial, three times the average online click-through of 0.1 per cent. 27 per cent of the people who Shazam’d the ad either shopped, downloaded the song featured in the ad or viewed additional content.”

In a statement, ITV said: “This exciting and exclusive partnership means we’re able to offer customers a real first for UK media to innovate their spot campaigns and connect directly with audiences on a large scale.”

The broadcaster also claimed that Shazam for TV has “revolutionised the viewing experience of some of America’s most popular television shows” and cited the fact that half of advertisements broadcast during the Super Bowl were Shazam-enhanced as evidence of the keenness of advertisers to embrace the new technology.