AOL offers video ticker ads

Looking for alternative to pre-roll ads on video platforms, AOL is launching a video ticker. The ticker is a graphic banner ad that is placed directly into online video content. The solution will be displayed while the video clip is streaming but will not interfere with the video itself.

by Kristina Knight

AOL and PointRoll developed the platform.

Once a user clicks to download a video clip, the ticker launches a video or Flash ad that is displayed at the same time as the vid clip. The ticker ad is displayed 10 seconds after the video begins streaming and if a user clicks on the ad, the video will pause while the ad expands to give the user more information. If the user does not click on the ad, it disappears within 15 seconds and leaves behind only a branded text link. If a user chooses to click on the text link, the ad window will reopen.

“Other rudimentary overlay solutions exist, but ours is the only one that is fully interactive, offers such deep metrics and is backed by PointRoll's technology, TickerBoy,” said Jason Tafler, Senior Vice President of Global Business Operations and Strategy for PointRoll. “Already, TickerBoy is in exclusive company. Not only has AOL led the publisher/portal charge to adopt TickerBoy, this new video advertising solution will attract leading advertisers.”