What is a Bumper Ad?, 6-Second Ad

YouTube Bumper Ads

Create Big Impact with Short Stories - 6 sec. YouTube Bumper ads are six-second ads designed within the framework of today's viewing habits. In this article, we will share information obtained from a study on the performance of these ads to demonstrate how a very short ad can create a big impact.

Six-Second New Bumper Format

Users living all around the world watch one billion hours of YouTube content every day. This demonstrates the significant impact of the change in how videos are consumed across different devices on viewing time. This seamless cross-device access has created new opportunities for advertisers. While audiences are still willing to engage with longer ad formats, brands need to be able to maneuver with shorter, effective messages to ensure consistent brand experience with high visibility and attention levels. Therefore, YouTube has introduced the new six-second bumper format that allows advertisers to capture attention in an environment where viewers prioritize mobile devices.

Messages to be Conveyed Quickly and Effectively

Six-second bumper ads are an excellent means of quickly and effectively conveying the messages a brand wants to deliver. When used as part of a comprehensive campaign strategy alongside existing formats like TrueView and Google Preferred, bumper ads can provide brands with additional reach and impact. In fact, according to a U.S. Google/Eye Square study in March 2017 focusing on four ads, bumper ads following TrueView paid impressions led to a significant increase in ad recall compared to just TrueView ads. Today, we will share some best practices compiled from the analysis of hundreds of bumper ads.

1. Keep it Simple: Short and Sweet is Always Better

With bumper ads, you have a very short time to tell your story. Bumper ads are designed to reach viewers in situations where conveying a short and focused message is the most suitable option. To be easily digestible, ads should not be overly filled with complex messages and ad elements should be kept simple.

One common mistake is using too much text in the ad. When analyzing over 400 studies examining more than 130 ad features, we found that action-packed ad elements, such as in this Tata ad, were associated with higher Ad Recall and Brand Awareness.

2. Showcase the Product Briefly and Strikingly

When you only have six seconds to work with, you won't have time to include all components typically found in a 30-second ad (story, product information, brief explanations, and branding). In our analysis, we found that bumper ads showing a product image within the 6-second timeframe resulted in increased Ad Recall. Therefore, to make the most of your time, ensure your product is prominently displayed on screen, as seen in examples like Purina, Huttenkase, and Renault ads.

3. Introduce, Reinforce, and Remind

Six-second ads are versatile and can easily be integrated into a larger media strategy. When used as a teaser for a longer campaign video, bumper ads can generate interest, create anticipation for upcoming product launches or announcements, or strengthen print or outdoor ad campaigns. Eye-catching visuals in bumper ads, like in this Mountain Dew ad, can effectively remind viewers of a longer campaign ad element or create mystery and anticipation, as seen in this Heineken ad. Finally, by retargeting viewers of longer TrueView or Google Preferred ads with bumper ads, you can reinforce and strengthen the campaign message.

Bumper Ad

Despite being only six seconds long, bumper ads can have an extraordinary impact. Our research shows that these ads perform well in terms of key brand metrics. We discovered that 61% of the 489 bumper ad campaigns analyzed worldwide last year resulted in a significant increase in brand awareness, with an average 9% increase across all campaigns. Performance in ad recall was even better: analysis from 605 studies showed that 9 out of 10 bumper ads resulted in an average 38% increase across all campaigns. If you want to learn more about Bumper ads or are ready to create your first campaign, you can find comprehensive information on all our ad formats in the YouTube Playbook.