Unskippable ads,
Coming to YouTube in Spring,
Like poems, says Google.
Quartz is reporting that, starting in May, before you watch your YouTube video of choice (Justin Bieber’s “Sorry” for the 125th time), you might see a five-second ad, or “bumper ad.” That you can’t skip. The idea is to create ads specifically targeting young people who mostly watch video on mobile.
But don’t worry, Google (YouTube’s parent) explained in a blog post on Tuesday, these ads aren’t designed to bug the viewer. Instead, the company wants you to think of them as “little haikus of video ads.” (If there’s one thing young people love, it’s poetry.)
Here’s an example. Try and tell me you don’t want to buy an Audi after watching this poetry in motion. Just try.
It’s like reading Bashō, no?
The ads present an interesting model, given that many ads on YouTube currently give viewers the option to skip to the video after a few seconds. But there are also ads that run for a full 15 seconds, so by comparison these bumper ads (I refuse to call them haiku) seem like an excellent alternative.
The ads will be primarily targeted at mobile users, since that is where “snackable videos,” i.e. a five-second bumper ad, perform best, the company also explained. Snacks and haiku both: Is nothing sacred to Google?
