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Written by Videoplaza, UTarget, markettiers4dc, Vibrant, InSkin
This page shows and explains every different format of advertising in and around video content. It also includes guidelines to help use these formats.
The pre-roll, mid-roll and post-roll ad format is the online video ad format that closest resembles regular TV spot ads. The ad format is linear in the sense that it takes over the full experience of the viewer for a limited amount of time.
The ad format grants use of both sound and moving images to convey the message. Most commonly this is done with a video file, but the ad may just as well be a regular banner file.
Pre-rolls are inserted prior to content; mid-rolls in commercial breaks within the content while post-roll ads are inserted after content is completed.
The pre/mid/post-roll ad format allows for different levels of interactivity, but should at least be clickable.
It is also typically used with a companion ad that runs adjacent to the player and allows user interaction after the spot ad is completed. More on this can be found in the companion ad and interactivity pages that follow.
Insertion: Before (pre), in-between (mid) or after (post) content.
Duration: 15 - 30 seconds depending on length of clip or program. If advertising around short form, the IAB highly recommends that you make or edit adverts for online use that are shorter than this because they are better received by consumers.
Click event: Should be clickable with link to advertiser site.
Dimensions: 800x600px (4:3) or 800x450px (16:9). The ad will be scaled to fit the video player dimensions.
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Pre/mid/post-roll ads are comparable to regular TV ads, taking over the full user experience for a limited amount of time. On the internet the ad format can be enhanced to allow user interaction.
Interaction can take the form of hot spots that hover over an item or product in the video that can be clicked. In this case, the best practice is to pause the video and display more information on the product in the video player giving people the option to either buy it or sign-up for more information. Importantly, people should be able to click back to the video clip they were watching easily.
A good example of this is an advertisement for an upcoming movie. While the pushed message is restricted in duration allowing only a short trailer, the advertiser may show the full trailer by offering a clickable area.
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The overlay banner ad format is a non-linear interactive ad format. In contrast to the pre/mid/post-roll ad format, the overlay doesn’t take over the full user experience, instead it is shown concurrently with the content by overlaying part of the video frame.
If the banner is clicked, the user may either be sent directly to the advertiser site, or the banner may expand to show a video file or interactive content. The original content should be paused whenever the overlay banner is clicked.`
Since the user chooses further information by clicking the banner, there are no restrictions to duration of the ad content that is shown after the banner is clicked, as long as the user is able to close the ad and get back to the content.
Each overlay banner can be shown for 15 seconds after which it will close again. On longer video clips, you can show more than one overlay banner. Each overlay banner must include a clear button for people to click to close it.
The overlay banner may be connected to a companion ad (see below) adjacent to the video player to maximise impact.
Insertion: During content playback.
Duration: Max 15 seconds per banner.
Frequency: Max 1 banner per 3 minutes.
Click event: Click may expand banner to auto-initiated video, interactive ad or take user to advertiser’s site.
Dimensions: 800x100px. The ad will be scaled to fit the video player dimensions and may use max 1/5 of the player's height.
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Branded skins add a box around a video player on a website that can be filled with advertising images or animation. Recent developments in this area allow you to dynamically rebrand the video player of almost any publisher with an animated and clickable skin.
Branded skins allow you to become an integral part of the consumer’s viewing experience for the whole video. A campaign can be set up to be between two to five minutes per impression.
On top of branding, skins allow for interaction. If a skin is clicked, the consumer may either be sent directly to your site, or be presented with a large expandable layer offering interactive content. The original video is paused whenever the skin is clicked.
Branded skins are ad-served and sold on a cost-per-thousand (CPM) basis and can be targeted to multiple players/sites. Early results have shown very good interaction rates as well as brand dwell time measured in minutes rather than seconds.
Insertion: At the start and throughout content playback.
Duration: Visible for entire content duration.
Click event: Video pauses and either takes consumer to your site, or opens large expandable layer offering interactive content.
Dimensions: 800x600px (4:3) or 800x450px (16:9). The ad will be scaled to fit the video player dimensions.
Expandable layer: 900x600px.
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Companion ads are not considered a stand-alone online video ad format. Instead they are intended to be used to enhance impact of the in-stream ads and allow user interaction throughout video playback.
The companion ad can be placed anywhere adjacent to the video player and be of any standard IAB banner format. In fact, some publishers may even use multiple companion ads.
Companion ads should always be loaded in sync with pre/mid/post-rolls or overlay banners. If the companion banner contains user-initiated sound, the playback within the video player must be paused whenever a user interacts with the companion banner.
Insertion: In sync with in-stream pre/mid/post-rolls or overlays.
Duration: Stays present until swapped to another companion ad.
Click event: Interactive content or take user to advertiser’s site.
Dimensions: Any IAB standard banner format.
Back to top
Video on the internet isn’t covered by Ofcom’s regulations, instead quality content is tightly controlled by publishers. This offers a huge opportunity for brands to get directly involved in the actual content of the videos that people are watching, as well as the adverts and sponsorship around them.
This allows for direct engagement with the audience, especially when viewers can actually interact with the video itself. Clicking on products featured for more information, sign-up for vouchers or mailing lists, or even click-to-purchase them instantly.
The two routes that brands can take in this instance are to either:
1. Place products in videos produced by media owners
E.g. P&G’s Pantene shampoo was placed in episodes of the Bebo produced program, Kate Modern.
2. Fund their own video featuring their products
E.g. Fashion retailer Oli ran videos produced by HowTo.tv, where users could click on the designer clothes and add them to their shopping basket on oli.co.uk.
Back to top
All the standard video advertising units in this section can be run on social media sites like MySpace, Bebo and Facebook in the same way as any other publisher sites. However, applications or widgets give context to social media sites, making the advert part of the experience instead of existing outside it.
Applications (or widgets) offer additional direct brand integration to the user experience on social media. You can either create a branded application that incorporates video ads, or place your ad within an existing application. Movie or game trailers are particularly suitable for this kind of support.
Back to top
Video subsites offer advertisers the opportunity to stream large format, targeted TV and video ads via a bespoke designed page. The video subsite launches behind the host site, allowing the advert to be delivered with sound and at full screen for maximum impact.
The advert can also be targeted by audience through careful selection of the host sites. It offers benefits to users by being non-interruptive and to advertisers because it loads in such high quality.
The video subsite starts playing when the host site is closed and the video subsite becomes the focus of the page. The unit allows duration to be longer than pre-roll with average campaign lengths being between 30 and 60 seconds.
Upon completion of the video stream the user is then delivered to the advertiser’s landing or splash page offering call to action opportunities for branding and direct response, consumer testing and sampling and user data capture. The video subsite is delivered direct to the user meaning campaigns can reach a volume audience.
The advertiser’s campaign report will include VTR (view through rates) and how many users are delivered to their campaign page or splash page.
Back to top
In-text video advertising enables marketers to highlight words in web content and deliver a highly relevant video advertising experience. In-text advertising highlights over 3.5 billion words, reaching 1 in 3 internet users across the UK (comScore UK, Feb 2009). Each in-text video ad impression is pre-qualified and user-initiated. A user can choose to view the ad by moving their mouse over a double-underlined word or phase of interest. Once the video is launched the user can click to visit your corresponding landing page to learn more.
Insertion: Double underline relevant words in written content.
Duration: Recommended: 10 - 30 seconds.
Recommended assets: High resolution video files. You should supply a backup image (.jpeg or .gif) for users without flash capability.
Click event: Link to relevant landing page.
Dimensions: 180x150 pixels (standard) 300x172 pixels (expandable).
Back to top
This page shows and explains every different format of advertising in and around video content. It also includes guidelines to help use these formats.
- Pre-roll / mid-roll / post-roll
- Interactive video
- In-stream overlay
- Branded video player skin
- Companion adverts
- Product placement in video and brand funded video
- Video in social media
- Video subsites
- Video in-text ads
Advertising in and around on-demand video
Pre-roll, mid-roll, post-roll
The pre-roll, mid-roll and post-roll ad format is the online video ad format that closest resembles regular TV spot ads. The ad format is linear in the sense that it takes over the full experience of the viewer for a limited amount of time.
The ad format grants use of both sound and moving images to convey the message. Most commonly this is done with a video file, but the ad may just as well be a regular banner file.
Pre-rolls are inserted prior to content; mid-rolls in commercial breaks within the content while post-roll ads are inserted after content is completed.
The pre/mid/post-roll ad format allows for different levels of interactivity, but should at least be clickable.
It is also typically used with a companion ad that runs adjacent to the player and allows user interaction after the spot ad is completed. More on this can be found in the companion ad and interactivity pages that follow.
Guidelines
Insertion: Before (pre), in-between (mid) or after (post) content.
Duration: 15 - 30 seconds depending on length of clip or program. If advertising around short form, the IAB highly recommends that you make or edit adverts for online use that are shorter than this because they are better received by consumers.
Click event: Should be clickable with link to advertiser site.
Dimensions: 800x600px (4:3) or 800x450px (16:9). The ad will be scaled to fit the video player dimensions.
Back to top
Interactive video
Pre/mid/post-roll ads are comparable to regular TV ads, taking over the full user experience for a limited amount of time. On the internet the ad format can be enhanced to allow user interaction.
Interaction can take the form of hot spots that hover over an item or product in the video that can be clicked. In this case, the best practice is to pause the video and display more information on the product in the video player giving people the option to either buy it or sign-up for more information. Importantly, people should be able to click back to the video clip they were watching easily.
A good example of this is an advertisement for an upcoming movie. While the pushed message is restricted in duration allowing only a short trailer, the advertiser may show the full trailer by offering a clickable area.
Back to top
In-stream overlay
The overlay banner ad format is a non-linear interactive ad format. In contrast to the pre/mid/post-roll ad format, the overlay doesn’t take over the full user experience, instead it is shown concurrently with the content by overlaying part of the video frame.
If the banner is clicked, the user may either be sent directly to the advertiser site, or the banner may expand to show a video file or interactive content. The original content should be paused whenever the overlay banner is clicked.`
Since the user chooses further information by clicking the banner, there are no restrictions to duration of the ad content that is shown after the banner is clicked, as long as the user is able to close the ad and get back to the content.
Each overlay banner can be shown for 15 seconds after which it will close again. On longer video clips, you can show more than one overlay banner. Each overlay banner must include a clear button for people to click to close it.
The overlay banner may be connected to a companion ad (see below) adjacent to the video player to maximise impact.
Guidelines
Insertion: During content playback.
Duration: Max 15 seconds per banner.
Frequency: Max 1 banner per 3 minutes.
Click event: Click may expand banner to auto-initiated video, interactive ad or take user to advertiser’s site.
Dimensions: 800x100px. The ad will be scaled to fit the video player dimensions and may use max 1/5 of the player's height.
Back to top
Branded video player skins
Branded skins add a box around a video player on a website that can be filled with advertising images or animation. Recent developments in this area allow you to dynamically rebrand the video player of almost any publisher with an animated and clickable skin.
Branded skins allow you to become an integral part of the consumer’s viewing experience for the whole video. A campaign can be set up to be between two to five minutes per impression.
On top of branding, skins allow for interaction. If a skin is clicked, the consumer may either be sent directly to your site, or be presented with a large expandable layer offering interactive content. The original video is paused whenever the skin is clicked.
Branded skins are ad-served and sold on a cost-per-thousand (CPM) basis and can be targeted to multiple players/sites. Early results have shown very good interaction rates as well as brand dwell time measured in minutes rather than seconds.
Guidelines
Insertion: At the start and throughout content playback.
Duration: Visible for entire content duration.
Click event: Video pauses and either takes consumer to your site, or opens large expandable layer offering interactive content.
Dimensions: 800x600px (4:3) or 800x450px (16:9). The ad will be scaled to fit the video player dimensions.
Expandable layer: 900x600px.
Back to top
Companion ads
Companion ads are not considered a stand-alone online video ad format. Instead they are intended to be used to enhance impact of the in-stream ads and allow user interaction throughout video playback.
The companion ad can be placed anywhere adjacent to the video player and be of any standard IAB banner format. In fact, some publishers may even use multiple companion ads.
Companion ads should always be loaded in sync with pre/mid/post-rolls or overlay banners. If the companion banner contains user-initiated sound, the playback within the video player must be paused whenever a user interacts with the companion banner.
Guidelines
Insertion: In sync with in-stream pre/mid/post-rolls or overlays.
Duration: Stays present until swapped to another companion ad.
Click event: Interactive content or take user to advertiser’s site.
Dimensions: Any IAB standard banner format.
Back to top
Product placement in video and brand funded video
Video on the internet isn’t covered by Ofcom’s regulations, instead quality content is tightly controlled by publishers. This offers a huge opportunity for brands to get directly involved in the actual content of the videos that people are watching, as well as the adverts and sponsorship around them.
This allows for direct engagement with the audience, especially when viewers can actually interact with the video itself. Clicking on products featured for more information, sign-up for vouchers or mailing lists, or even click-to-purchase them instantly.
The two routes that brands can take in this instance are to either:
1. Place products in videos produced by media owners
E.g. P&G’s Pantene shampoo was placed in episodes of the Bebo produced program, Kate Modern.
2. Fund their own video featuring their products
E.g. Fashion retailer Oli ran videos produced by HowTo.tv, where users could click on the designer clothes and add them to their shopping basket on oli.co.uk.
Back to top
Other uses of video in online display advertising
Video in social media
All the standard video advertising units in this section can be run on social media sites like MySpace, Bebo and Facebook in the same way as any other publisher sites. However, applications or widgets give context to social media sites, making the advert part of the experience instead of existing outside it.
Applications (or widgets) offer additional direct brand integration to the user experience on social media. You can either create a branded application that incorporates video ads, or place your ad within an existing application. Movie or game trailers are particularly suitable for this kind of support.
Back to top
Video subsites
Video subsites offer advertisers the opportunity to stream large format, targeted TV and video ads via a bespoke designed page. The video subsite launches behind the host site, allowing the advert to be delivered with sound and at full screen for maximum impact.
The advert can also be targeted by audience through careful selection of the host sites. It offers benefits to users by being non-interruptive and to advertisers because it loads in such high quality.
The video subsite starts playing when the host site is closed and the video subsite becomes the focus of the page. The unit allows duration to be longer than pre-roll with average campaign lengths being between 30 and 60 seconds.
Upon completion of the video stream the user is then delivered to the advertiser’s landing or splash page offering call to action opportunities for branding and direct response, consumer testing and sampling and user data capture. The video subsite is delivered direct to the user meaning campaigns can reach a volume audience.
The advertiser’s campaign report will include VTR (view through rates) and how many users are delivered to their campaign page or splash page.
Back to top
In-text video advertising
In-text video advertising enables marketers to highlight words in web content and deliver a highly relevant video advertising experience. In-text advertising highlights over 3.5 billion words, reaching 1 in 3 internet users across the UK (comScore UK, Feb 2009). Each in-text video ad impression is pre-qualified and user-initiated. A user can choose to view the ad by moving their mouse over a double-underlined word or phase of interest. Once the video is launched the user can click to visit your corresponding landing page to learn more.
Guidelines
Insertion: Double underline relevant words in written content.
Duration: Recommended: 10 - 30 seconds.
Recommended assets: High resolution video files. You should supply a backup image (.jpeg or .gif) for users without flash capability.
Click event: Link to relevant landing page.
Dimensions: 180x150 pixels (standard) 300x172 pixels (expandable).
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