YouTube Has Launched 6-Second "Bumper Ads" You Can't Skip

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We are all annoyed by ads on YouTube – especially the ones that we are unable to skip. Luckily there are also ads that we can skip after 5 seconds. Now, YouTube is launching a new ad format that is unskippaple, but also only 6 seconds long. Bumper ads.

Google has conducted research that shows that over half of 18-49 year olds watch video on mobile devices. The same research has also found that “stackable video” performs better on these devices. So, it’s only logical for the company to introduce ads that are ideal for mobile devices. In a recent blog post, Zach Lupei, Product Manager for Video Ads at YouTube explained,

[quote]today we’re announcing Bumper ads – a new six-second video format, sold through the AdWords auction on a CPM basis. Bumper ads are ideal for driving incremental reach and frequency, especially on mobile, where “snackable videos” perform well.[/quote]

The company has been testing the new format for several months now, and has found that it works best “when combined with a TrueView or Google Preferred campaign.” Bumper ads performed very well and “drove strong lift in upper funnel metrics like recall, awareness and consideration.” Also, they work rather well to “drive incremental reach and frequency, when paired with a TrueView campaign.”

YouTube launches Bumper ads that are optimised for mobile users

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One of the first testers of the new format – Atlantic Records – used Bumper ads to successfully promote the launch of a new album by English band, Rudimental. Fiona Byers, Senior Marketing Manager of Atlantic Records/Warner Music Group explained that they

[quote]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.[/quote]

YouTube launches new 6-second ad format that you can’t skip

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Other early testers like Audi Germany have used Bumpers to “serialise” ad content. Essentially, the company cut their TrueView ad into shorter Bumpers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBmeNRuEf-8

Google say that it likes “to think of Bumper ads as little haikus of video ads” – perhaps giving advertisers the opportunity to really get very creative with this short format.

Advertisers will be able to user Bumper ads from the beginning of May, so stay tuned.