The pilot project means viewers of popular German soap Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten (Good times, bad times) can shop fashion products that are directly related to the content shown in the episodes. Thanks to a technical innovation from Jay – a global provider of technology for streaming services and broadcasters – users can pause the stream to buy fashion items from Zalando without leaving the RTL+ app. Information specific to the scene being shown, such as the cast and music, is also transmitted in real time and can be called up on demand. Running since 11 March and available via the RTL+ iOS apps, the interactive offer is a collaboration between RTL Deutschland, UFA Serial Drama – the production company behind GZSZ – Zalando and Jay.

Henning Nieslony, Chief Streaming Officer at RTL Deutschland, says: “We are continuously developing our all-inclusive entertainment offer on RTL+. In doing so, we always keep a close eye on our customers' feedback. The pilot project for GZSZ is particularly exciting for us because it covers many frequently expressed wishes of our users. We are delighted to be implementing it together with our partners at UFA, Zalando and Jay and gaining new insights into the use of such services."

Sven Gronemeyer, Head of Business Affairs and Business Development at UFA Serial Drama, says: "UFA has been telling captivating stories in GZSZ for over 30 years. Authentically styled cast members and the incorporation of current and future fashion trends are an important part of this – viewers pay just as much attention to these details as to the carefully selected soundtracks. Now the time has come: Viewers can find out directly – without leaving the stream – which clothing and accessories are being worn in each scene and what song is playing in the background.”

Matthias Haase, Director Content Solutions at Zalando SE, says: “User behaviour in fashion e-commerce is constantly changing. We are continuously testing how we can better fulfil our customers' needs with inspiring and entertaining fashion and lifestyle content. Our customers find inspiration from many different sources – including series and films. Our pilot project with RTL+ enables us to pair this inspiration with a multimedia shopping experience for the first time. We are looking forward to seeing how our customers respond to this experience.”

Peter Effenberg, founder of Jay, adds: “All information and the entire shopping experience are displayed directly in the streaming app. The implementation is as simple and intuitive as possible – we never take viewers out of the viewing experience.”