In its recent annual Brandcast event for advertisers, YouTube announced that it would be bringing the option of 30-second long advertisements to YouTube on CTV, along with the existing format of two 15-second un-skippable ads.
These ads will make an appearance on the top-performing content, which are part of the premium ad-tier, according to YouTube. The addition of the 30-second ads option aims to generate better ROI for brands with longer screen time and to allow for more storytelling in the advertisement.
YouTube said that the new format “seamlessly fits into viewer’s expectations on the big screen”. The 30-second format is expected to echo the regular cable TV experience that viewers are already used to.
It also mentioned the shift in creation and consumption where the majority of viewers consumed shorts in a ”big way” and how more viewers used their TV to use the platform. YouTube claims that YouTube Select, YouTube’s advertising platform for brands, lands about 70 per cent of its impressions on the TV screen.
YouTube has also said that this doesn’t mean that they’ll be doing away with the double consecutive 15-seconds ad spots, and advertisers can continue with the previous format as well.
The 30-second ad-spot returns to YouTube after they were taken away in the favour of shorter ad-formats for its online users in 2017.
The video platform also announced the addition of another offering to its advertisement services on connected TV, a Pause Experience. This aims to offer advertisers the ability to capitalise on the moment users hit the pause button to interact with the users.
The new features will be rolled out only in the US for now.
