Video has become one of the most engaging formats in digital advertising, driven by the growth of streaming services, social video platforms, and mobile viewing habits. As viewing behavior continues to shift, video advertising formats and strategies are evolving alongside it.

The Rise of Short-Form Video

Short-form video content, popularized by social platforms, has changed viewer expectations across the board. Ads that are concise, visually engaging within the first few seconds, and designed for sound-off viewing tend to perform significantly better than longer, traditionally produced spots repurposed for digital.

Connected TV and Streaming

As more viewers shift from traditional broadcast to streaming services accessed through connected TV devices, advertisers have gained new opportunities to reach audiences with targeted video ads on the big screen. Unlike traditional TV, connected TV advertising often allows for more precise audience targeting and better measurement of ad performance.

In-Feed and In-Stream Placements

Video ads now appear in a wide range of contexts, from ads that play before or during other video content, to ads that appear natively within social media feeds. Each placement type has different expectations around length, format, and viewer tolerance, so creative often needs to be adapted rather than reused as-is across placements.

The Importance of Captions and Accessibility

Because a large share of video is watched without sound, particularly on mobile devices, captions and on-screen text have become essential rather than optional. Ads that rely solely on audio to convey their message risk losing a significant portion of their audience.

Measurement Challenges

Video advertising measurement continues to evolve, with metrics such as view-through rate, completion rate, and viewability helping advertisers understand not just whether an ad was served, but whether it was actually seen and watched.