Google’s new six second ‘Bumper’ ads on YouTube cannot be skipped

After announcing a new ad platform for television last week, Google is launching a new six second “Bumper” video ad format for YouTube. Aimed at “snackable” videos consumed on smartphones, Bumpers cannot be skipped over.

These shorter ads are aimed specifically at the 18-49 year old demographic who turn to their mobile device first to watch video. Currently, the most common and least annoying ad format on YouTube is over a minute long, but can be skipped after watching for five seconds.

Due to the brevity of these Bumper ads, people will not be able to skip over them. With a shorter, but guaranteed watch, the six second ad have led to higher recall, awareness, and consideration, especially when combined with other ads campaigns. Google sees them as “little haikus of video ads” and have already seen some creative uses for them in early tests.

One band used the new ad format (seen below) to highlight how their new album features many guest singers, while Audi Germany ended up cutting their longer traditional ads into Bumpers. The new Bumpers will be live to all advertisers starting in May with Google working on more efforts to adapt to how people are now watching video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5&v=0llZBNx8pL4

(via The Verge)