YouTube has introduced a new six-second ad format to target smartphone users.
Called Bumper ads, the video ads will last six seconds, appearing before a video starts and cannot be skipped like the longer YouTube ads.
The ads will be sold through Google’s AdWords auction, with YouTube hoping they will complement, rather than replace, its existing, longer-form ads.
It will allow companies to present campaigns in longer ad format, while using the shorter Bumper ads to drive home the message in a more snackable form.
The ads will be rolled out in May.
In a blog post, Zach Lupei, product manager for video ads at Google, said: “Bumper ads are ideal for driving incremental reach and frequency, especially on mobile, where ‘snackable videos’ perform well.”
