New video advertising opportunities from Yahoo! and Google command attention. While Yahoo’s new formats offer alternatives to pre-roll, which is commendable but nothing new, Google’s offers video within the search environment, which is “revolutionary,” according to an industry observer. It’s revolutionary because search and video advertising have operated on separate platforms to date, but now they’re united. Google is playing video ads with search results on a small test scale, but imagine if it succeeds and video is played frequently with search. It would be a boon for video that hasn’t occurred to date, since search is a much more popular form of online advertising with numbers and revenue that currently dwarf video. Video has struggled to win revenue that is spent on search but now it may be able to share in the proceeds.
This week’s iChat features Tabreez Verjee, president of GoFish Corp., who discusses the company’s new ad network dedicated to the kids, teens and tweens market. It represents large game and virtual world sites that offer compelling opportunities for advertisers, who can incorporate their video content within game and virtual world content.
Our iSPOT of the Week is the viral video spot being used to introduce Pinky Vodka. The brand is popular with women, so Ground Zero, the agency that owns distribution rights to the vodka, is playing a spot starring Cupid, whose arrows no longer impact the women because they’re so fond of Pinky. The video is a winner because of the filmmaking techniques that show Cupid shooting arrows with a turret gun and flying through the air.
Please continue to keep us apprised of news from your companies and the great videos you’re creating and producing.
Ken Liebeskind, iSPOT Senior Editor, kliebeskind@shootonline.com, 203-227-1699, ext.17 www.shootonline.com/go/ispot