Advertising tends to be a contentious issue, with many consumers concerned about the privacy and safety concerns with regards to online advertising, while others simply find adverts intrusive. The rise of ad-blockers has led advertisers to consider new markets for advertising, such as 360-degree video, which OmniVirt and Tremor Video have announced a platform for pre-roll ads for 360-degree video.
360-degree video is currently the most popular way for consumers to enjoy virtual reality (VR) content. 360-degree videos are relatively cheap and easy to produce compared to other forms of VR content, which has meant an explosion in their popularity, especially with the rise of commercially available 360-degree cameras. As such, advertisers are keen to tap the market. Pre-roll adverts by OmniVirt will offer features such as all-screen scale for both mobile and desktop, the ability to switch between gyroscope or swipe modes on mobile and compatibility with all major VR headsets and cardboard viewers.
“Marketers and agencies alike have been creating 360° VR advertisements because of the promise this medium has for marketers to make an impact on their audience,” stated Brad Phaisan, Founder and CEO of OmniVirt. “The biggest challenge for these marketers remains distribution and viewers, but with VR campaigns having shown a tenfold increase in interaction and engagement compared to flat 2D advertisements, we expect their use to increase exponentially.”
OmniVirt have also recently opened up a platform to allow independent creators the opportunity to monetise VR and 360-degree content. Last month, OmniVirt delivered over 100 million VR ad ‘impressions’ on 360-degree videos, featuring well-known brands such as Universal Pictures, Land Rover, Samsung and National Geographic.
VRFocus will keep you informed on other developments regarding advertising in VR.