Pre-roll pre-assembly

It's been proven time and time again: pre-roll campaigns have a lot of potential if the "skip" period is actively integrated into the concept. During the famous six seconds, it is decided whether the viewer is interested in the ad - or whether he or she can finally look away after it has expired. There has been a lot of experimentation in this regard in the past. Some shorten the length of the spot to six seconds and have said it all anyway, when skipping might occur - the most recent example being the Calanda Glatsch-Prerolls by Publicis.

The "mother of all unskippable pre-rolls" is Geico with its "unskippable ad" campaign, the Cannes Grand Prix winner of 2015. There, too, everything was said after a few seconds, but viewers nevertheless watched the supposed still image for a minute, spellbound, because the family dog took advantage of the frozen hour. A milestone in modern advertising history.

The latest pre-roll opus from DDB Brussels is far less original, but all the more effective for it. The radio station Studio Brussel, which specializes in alternative music, uses the live show "De Nieuwe Lichting" to search for new talent every year and helps the winners launch their careers. This year, with boosters from the creative industries. Through precise targeting, DDB placed the acts as "supporting groups" in front of Youtube clips of well-known, much-clicked and, above all, stylistically suitable acts. The viewer was made aware of the idea of the supporting group right from the start through clear communication. With the effect that 40 percent of the shows were watched to the end, the show was a huge success and one of the participants became a chart-topper. (hae)