The OMMA Video Summit, held yesterday in New York, brought industry leaders together for a sometimes exuberant, sometimes critical look at the growing online video advertising industry.
The exuberance started with the morning’s keynotes, when Janet Kestin, chief creative officer of Ogilvy & Mather/Toronto, spoke about the Dove Real Beauty campaign for Unilever, which featured the online video ad “Evolution” that used time lapse photography to show how a normal looking woman could be transformed into a fashion model through tricks and touched-up photography. “It took something people knew and made them see it for the first time,” Kestin said.
Kestin’s role in the OMMA program was to show how traditional TV advertisers like Dove and its parent company Unilever are finding new opportunities with online video advertising — “the evolution will not be televised,” as Kestin said. But much of what’s happening online is TV-centric, including the broadcasting of TV content online. (See today’s SHOOT e.dition article on the Cannes Advertising Festival for news of Dove’s “Evolution” winning Grand Prix honors in both the Film and Cyber categories).
The second keynote speaker was Herb Scannell, CEO and co-founder of Next New Networks/New York, which plans to launch 101 micronetworks in five years that will broadcast specialized online TV content on channels devoted to comic book lovers, Corvette lovers and more. The three rules for new TV are “authenticity, conversation and community,” he said, explaining how the network will provide high quality content for specific communities that can be sold to advertisers seeking to reach the demographics. He said he’s seeking 10 charter advertisers.
Scannell also explained how the new TV will “embrace user control. They’ll watch it where they want to watch it, it’s transportable media.” Next New Networks will play its micro channels on Joost and YouTube as well as on Next New Networks site.
The next program focused on how TV content is coming online, with representatives from two major networks, Fox and ABC, joined by executives from Yahoo! and AOL, who discussed how they are playing everything from primetime programs to short clips online. The numbers are good, with all four saying there is high viewership and length of time spent viewing. The advertisers on the network sites are primarily playing traditional TV ads, with the portals offering new forms of advertising, such as instream tickers at AOL. “We want to offer new forms of advertising for the new content, it’s how we’ll monetize it,” said AOL’s director of product marketing Scott Levine.
The goal of developing new creative was the subject of the next program, as representatives from five companies discussed the new formats they are using, from the Video Egg’s Super Tickers to the video ads that play after users click on the double underlines from Vibrant Media to the branded content advertising from Roo. The agency perspective was also on display as Lars Bastholm, executive creative director for AKQA/New York, showed a video ad done for ESPN that was filmed during the TV shoot, which demonstrates how new creative executions can come from traditional media production budgets.
One of the highlights of the show was the Upfront Pitch session, in which five web-based TV companies pitched their content to the audience like traditional TV networks do during upfront presentations. After the session the audience voted on the content they liked best with Blip.tv’s assortment of shows edging out offerings from ManiaTV, Soma Management, Brightcove and Revver. But what the presentation really indicated was how much original content is available for TV advertisers on the Web, from the Somabeauty and Kids channels to the live music and action sports shows at ManiaTV. Drew Massey, CEO of ManiaTV, also explained how advertisers could take advantage of the new medium by buying exclusive rights to the shows that come with bumper and close ads, two minutes of spots during an hour of programming, clickable banners and customized feature segments. Advertisers on web TV get much more than traditional TV advertisers. They can participate in the shows in a variety of ways.
The show concluded with “The Next Season,” which looked at the future of online video advertising. There was critical discussion of the pre-roll and repurposed TV advertising that plays online now, which is “lazy and results from a lack of resources,” according to Mike Cassidy, president/CEO of Undertone Networks.
The lack of resources is an important point because repurposed TV commercials are chiefly used since clients can’t afford new creative and agencies don’t take the initiative. “We have to create production scenarios that are wider and shoot assets that can cover any platform,” said Alan Schulman, the new senior VP and executive creative director at imc². One of the platforms is long-form advertising that “goes deeper with the online narrative and provides brand centric information. We’re excited to tell a deeper story,” he said.
Long form advertising and all the other formats that were on display at OMMA Video are taking online video advertising in new directions. “We have a chance to liberate advertising,” Gregory Wilson, CEO of Red Ball Tiger, said during the closing session. The remark summarized the attitude of the industry, which is striving to distinguish itself from traditional media as it moves ahead.
A “Wicked” Welcome From The National Board of Review
Days after "Wicked" went home from the Golden Globes with a single award for box office achievement, the National Board of Review Awards held space for the smash hit musical, celebrating its cast and director in the New York group's annual gala Tuesday. The untelevised but starry NBR Awards were a chance for many of the nominees who didn't win Sunday to trot out their would-be acceptance speeches, including Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman. Accepting the award for best actress for her performance in the erotic thriller "Babygirl," Kidman celebrated by chugging a glass of milk, a nod to some of the film's kinky sex games. After finishing, Kidman triumphantly announced "Good girl!" and left the stage. It also was an opportunity for some jabs at the Globes. "Isn't this room just a little bit classier than the Beverly Hilton?" quipped presenter Christine Baranski, looking around the elegant marble-columned midtown venue, Cipriani's. Others were less impressed by the old-school New York vibe. "The bathroom attendant, that shouldn't exist anymore," Kieran Culkin said during a typically free-form acceptance speech for best supporting actor for his role in "A Real Pain." The night belonged to Jon M. Chu's "Wicked." The musical was the board's pick for best film, best director for Chu and a special award for the creative collaboration of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. The two, in back-and-forth remarks, continued their mutual praise of each other. "Also you're welcome," added Grande. "I truly think you would have murdered anyone else." "Probably true," responded Erivo. Chu, who was introduced by Lin-Manuel Miranda, used the moment to reflect on his yearslong journey with "Wicked," which will be followed by an already-shot part two due out this... Read More