News that YouTube is scrapping ‘unskippable’ 30 second advertisements on its video-streaming service from 2018 has received a generally positive response within the industry. And it’s finally an acknowledgement from Google that many viewers find them a ‘nuisance’. It backs up our long held belief that traditional 30 second television commercial-style content rarely works as well within the clickable world of online viewing. This isn’t just down to length, but an approach to the style of the content itself.
There are exceptions. Jean Claude van Damme’s epic splits atop a pair of Volvo trucks made more of a noise online than through the original television ad campaign.
It’s easy to see how this kind of compelling viewing is just as suited to online sharing as it is to a TV ad break. But much unskippable content can simply be an irritant to viewers.
This move by YouTube will force content creators to do what works best for advertising, and ultimately viewer engagement, within the digital arena. Create more innovative, edgy, and compelling content that will capture viewer’s imaginations and make them want to watch. And although videos of less than 30 seconds will still be available on YouTube as unskippable, it’s an opportunity to look at all online ad content – whatever its length – and ring the changes on how it's approached.
This YouTube Ad from Knorr was one of the most successful online campaigns in 2016. This kind of experimental approach to video drawers viewers in and proves that brands who are willing to embrace a different, creative approach when advertising on YouTube can reap the benefits. Regardless of if the content can be skipped through or not.
Kind wishes
The Vanilla team
020 8445 8324
info@vanillafilms.co.uk
www.vanillafilms.co.uk
