Clickz has a story on the IAB’s recent guidelines for broadband video commercials to be broadcast on internet sites. I recently talked to an ad sales rep who informed me that technology and gaming vendors are starting to consider this type of ad format. Can’t wait to see the reaction of the slashdot posting crowd when they have to view a commercial before reading or posting. Although I suspect some will have already figured out a way to disable these ads. You can view the complete guidelines here.
From Clickz — They suggest an ad length of “up to 30 seconds” for commercials appearing before or during content. Post-roll ads may be any length. Interactivity, such as clicking within ads, is a matter of publisher discretion, and fast-forwarding should be disabled during ad play.
I use my Tivo to fast forward through commercials. According to surveys performed by Jupiter Research I’m not the only person with this behavior — nearly 40% of DVR users skip commercials “most of the time” while 12% say they “don’t watch any commercials anymore.”
As hated as pop-ups became, “broadband video commercials” will likely become even more obnoxious, especially given that fast forward will likely be disabled. I wonder which browser, toolbar or plugin will be first to block this kind of ad. Of course, if they become merely a video within an existing banner location, can be easily scrolled off the screen, then perhaps they might be accepted. Why, however, would agencies and vendors go to the expense of creating and placing the video ad only to have it ignored?
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