In the never-ending quest to monetize video without annoying viewers, Adap.tv is today introducing a new low-tech ad format to help eclipse high video production costs: pre-roll title cards.
Shortening the length of standard pre-rolls to 5-7 seconds, the new ads are simply still images that brands can place before video content begins. The new format will help ad networks and brand marketers "turn standard 300x250 ad creative units into high impact, highly responsive video pre-rolls with no additional creative development," according to the company.
The title cards look like a stop gap measure to help ad networks sell the idea of video ad campaigns "to clients without the need for building costly video infrastructure and employing unnecessary staff," says the press release.
While the low-tech format may help advertisers hesitant to step their toe in the water of video advertising, they don't seem like a real win for consumers irritated by the pre-roll format. Shortening the length of pre-roll advertising does not eliminate the main problem with delaying video content.
And it is a rather retro solution to the problem. Is it really less annoying to sit through one picture than a set of moving pictures?
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