Using video for advertising is nothing new for either Facebook or YouTube, who have built a thriving video advertising business with multiple major brands reaching a vast audience. The competition between the two rivals for new business is intense, and bringing out a new technology is one way to try and get an edge. YouTube is looking to get a boost in advertising by introducing a new format that could help marketers and brands bring messages full circle with their ads – literally.
Per a report from The Next Web, Google has announced that the new format of 360-degree video advertisements will now be supported for both iOS and Android mobile devices, as well as the Google Chrome desktop browser. Utilizing the company’s TrueView ad platform, users can use their mouse or tilt a device to pan around a field of view in a video, getting a look at the whole perspective of the ad however they please. This takes ad interaction to another level, and hopefully will get users both more interested in ads and engaged with the ad for a longer period of time.
Bud Light has launched its own campaign to show this in action, with its latest “Up For Whatever” video showcasing a number of fans jumping into a parade and having a good time. The video can be seen below. (Note: if you’re viewing on a computer, other browsers aside from Google Chrome won’t work with the format. Not yet, anyway.)
Google initially announced 360-degree video support a few months back, where users could upload interactive videos to YouTube with ease, in an attempt to garner more viewers interested in the interactive format. It seems to have paid off, as the company reported that these videos have performed 36 percent better than standard videos – which indicates that ads with the 360-degree format would be far more effective than watching a routine commercial.More videos of these types – with more sponsors tied in – should be introduced over the next few months. Here’s hoping that Google continues to make it compatible with other browsers, including Safari, Windows and Firefox, so that no one will miss the 360-degree party.
