Video ads that don’t annoy.
I have recently seen a new (at least new to me) type of advertisement on Techcrunch and the Wall Street Journal. It is a video advertisement that automatically plays, which is commonly known as a universally bad decision, but this plays without audio. I was amazed at how unobtrusive this is. I realized I can’t ignore sound (no matter how loudly my son screams) but I can ignore visual stimulus. I’m pretty sure this is not a condition of the Internet as I can ignore just about anything once I have visually categorized it as something that is not useful.
I’m also amazed that I’m actually drawn to watch the video since I can’t here it. (You of course have the option to turn the sound on.)
This may be a good tactic for pre-rolls, which are officially the most hated form of online advertisement (according to a reputable source that I can’t find right now). Here is a pretty good video on video advertising in general.
