Released in 2016, a six-second, unskippable video ad that plays before a YouTube video is a YouTube bumper ad.
Bumper ads are considered as YouTube’s six different advertising formats. Due to their shortness, they are powerful in creating brand awareness and reach. Bumper ads have given advertisers a creative way to increase brand awareness and reach. However, these non-skippable ads can only run for a few seconds, so creating compelling ads in this format can be challenging.
On the contrary, ad formats like overlay ads, skippable, and non-skippable video spots are better for longer versions that dive deeper into product features and benefits. Bumper ads can run as standalone ad campaigns, but Google recommends airing them in with TrueView Ads to higher their effectiveness.
A great canvas for creativity
The initial fans of the bumper ads have of course come from the creative community. The reason bumpers are in such productive format for storytelling is that creativity thrives in constraint. At SXSW, challenged artists, filmmakers and agency creatives re-imagine classic works of literature in six seconds – effectively re-telling these stories in mini formats.
Funny, poignant and beautiful, Bumper ads showed that six seconds is a natural and adaptable ad length. Watch the bumper ads from the most famous brands below and see the clever ideas inside them.
Written by: