In order to engage consumers in a place where there's typically little interaction, Mountain Dew created a set of pre-roll ads that engage viewers before they continue on to watch a video.
The ads were transformed into side-scrolling 8-bit video games where players were challenged to collect bottles of the soda beverage. In order to interact with the game, players could use YouTube's annotation buttons. In order to further engage consumers in a particular area, local landmarks were used for in-game environments.
While many consumers are quick to click the "skip" button on a YouTube pre-roll ad when it first becomes available, these interactive advertisements from Mountain Dew succeeded at increasing the average viewing times.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Interactive Pre-roll Ads
- Creating interactive pre-roll ads for online videos to engage viewers and increase ad views.
- Gamification in Advertising
- Incorporating gamification into advertisements for increased engagement and customer interest.
- Localized Interactive Advertising
- Using local landmarks and personalized features in ads to further engage viewers and increase regional brand awareness.
Where This Applies
- Advertising
- Integrating interactive and gamified elements into advertisements for increased customer engagement and brand recall.
- Digital Marketing
- Creating interactive and engaging pre-roll ads for online videos as part of a comprehensive digital marketing plan.
- Gaming
- Exploring ways to incorporate advertising into video games and create innovative and interactive experiences for players.
