YouTube Launches Vertical Video Ads

Video Content demand is ever-increasing and brands are lapping onto this bandwagon in a big way. Apart from YouTubers, storytelling has made YouTube a significant performance oriented platform for brands as well. With the ease of technology, cheaper data rates & deep smartphone penetration in the Indian market, Mobile video consumption is growing significantly. According to a report by media agency Zenith, the average time spent by an Indian watching videos online has grown to 52 minutes per day in 2018 from a mere two minutes per day in 2012. It is expected to increase further to 67 minutes per day by 2019.

With Instagram going the vertical video way with iGtv, it was only time that vertical videos came to YouTube as well. Recently, YouTube Vertical videos were launched in Universal and True View App campaigns. With over 75% of the video views relaying on the smartphones globally, YouTube has amended ad formats which automatically fit mobile screen dimensions

“It has the advertisers excited, as they will be getting an opportunity to occupy vital visuals on the user’s screen, transmitting their marketing message in the most effective ways” mentioned Neal Mohan, The Chief Product Officer at YouTube.

YouTube Vertical Video Ads

“These days, users can be spoilt for choices when it comes to video content. A large part of purchase decisions are built through product & brand videos, as good content build a purchase path for the end consumer” says Neal.

About 400+ hours of video content gets uploaded on YouTube every single minute. Neal Mohan mentions, “YouTube is now investing in new innovative products that will help advertisers engage with their audiences in a better manner. It was only last year that YouTube attuned its mobile app, providing enhanced support vertical videos which automatically sensed and optimized the dominant positioning of the videos. Also, we at YouTube, wanted to benefit of the full canvas and not just have it butted into the horizontal layout which provides that boring black bars on the side,”

The automotive giant Hyundai happens to be the first one to experiment with the new ad format. The automaker confirmed that it has witnessed about 33% rise in the brand awareness and 12% increase in consideration.

YouTube also declared that brands will soon be able to buy inventory in user feeds, permitting for curation against an individual’s personalized content feed. According to Neal, watch time driven recommendations on YouTube’s home feed has tripled in the past 3 years.

YouTube Vertical Video Ads Supported Aspect Ratio’s:

  • Square: 1:1
  • Vertical: 9:16
  • LandScape: 16:9

Let’s go VERTICAL!