• by Philip Rosenstein , March 28, 2017

AdTheorent and the United States Air Force (USAF) on Tuesday announced initial results from a digital advertising campaign titled: “We Need People Who Can Do This.” The partnership combined 360-degree video ads with AdTheorent’s machine-learning capabilities.

The ad buy lasted a year and was placed through AdTheorent’s platform, “which uses machine learning to predict the right audiences for the campaign, serve those individuals the creative they are most likely to respond to, and then learn from the results,” Patrick Albano, CRO of AdTheorent told Real-Time Daily via email.

“Machine learning helps advertisers make sense of all of the data signals that are important. Predictive targeting looks ahead to determine who will take an action in the future (vs. relying on past behaviors), and new forms of creative, like 360° video, help advertisers catch the attention of hard to reach mobile consumers,” Albano added.

The 360-degree video campaign engaged users by showcasing the mental and physical toughness required of Air Force Special Operations personnel. Built on the Celtra Creative Management platform, the campaign drove stronger than typical engagement.

USAF found that the mobile click-through rate (CTR) was 242% higher than industry averages, and CTR on desktop was 286% higher than the average.

There was also strong engagement retention. On average, consumers spent more than 10 seconds with the 360 ad, with completion rates at 50% for desktop, and 49% for mobile.

“For our brand, it’s all about reaching a specific target audience at scale to drive recruitment efforts. Education is key part of this, as a career in the Air Force requires mental and physical toughness -- and in this case, a 360-degree video speaks a thousand words,” stated Melissa Walther, chief, internal information, at the USAF.