Google's new YouTube video ad format short but unskippable

Starting in May, a new ad format will hit YouTube videos - an ad format that is not skippable and last just six seconds.

by Helen Leggatt

Called "Bumper Ads", the new video ad format is an advertising nibble aimed at "snackable" videos that are consumed on mobile devices and, it is assumed, aimed at Millennials and younger generations who are most likely to turn to mobile for their video fix.

Current YouTube ads can be skipped after just 5 seconds, but "Bumper Ads" are not skippable, meaning advertisers can hold on to audience attention for one second more. It also means, however, that those 1 seconds will add up in data usage among those avid mobile video watchers.

Google has referred to the short ads as "little haikus of video ads" and testing of the ads as indicated higher recall, awareness, and consideration, particularly when combined with a TrueView or Google Preferred campaign.

"TrueView and Bumpers were a really important part of the recent Rudimental campaign to tell the story of the band's second album," said Fiona Byers, Senior Marketing Manager of Atlantic Records/Warner Music Group, who were one of the early testers of the new ad format. "Through cost-efficient bumpers we could really showcase the plethora of legendary guests featured on the record. They each gave a short sharp insight into a featured artist and individual track on the album, with TrueView providing the fuller story around the album and the band. When used in conjunction, TrueView plus Bumpers really work more effectively than either format on its own."