Commentary

Havas Thinks Those Paragraph-Splitting 'Outstream' Ads Are Unobtrusive

by Richard Whitman , Columnist, January 4, 2015

If you're interested in hearing what Havas is doing with the new "outstream" video ad format, then you'll want to watch this Beet.tv interview featuring Havas Director of Programmatic Stephanie Mustari. If you're not familiar with outstream ads, they are those excruciating annoying videos that appear out of nowhere between paragraphs. You know, while you're actually trying to read a paragraph and then it suddenly slides down and some talking head appears trying to sell you something. Yeah, those.

Annoyances aside, Mustari is a fan and says: “What’s great about the outstream format is it expands as you’re going through content, and can be contextually relevant and addressable. We’ve seen really positive click-throughs and engagement." She also says the ad format is "non-obtrusive." Well, pardon me, Stephanie, but anything that moves content out of my sight line is most assuredly obtrusive.

I'd venture to say that the reason Mustari sees positive click-through and engagement is akin to the reason mobile ads initially saw success; people are doing whatever they can, clicking wherever they need, to to make the f*cking ads go away.

advertising, agency, online

3 comments about "Havas Thinks Those Paragraph-Splitting 'Outstream' Ads Are Unobtrusive".

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Jay Fredrickson from Fredrickson Services Inc., January 5, 2015 at 8:04 a.m.
Agreed, these are extremely annoying and I will purposely keep a mental note to never engage with that advertiser. These are pop ups with fangs.
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sebastien robin from havas media, January 5, 2015 at 12:38 p.m.

Actually this ad format does not appear or opens itself as often as we used to see popup ads in the past.. + the video itself does not display sounds, does not avoid passing through and continue the reading (at least do an F5) ..so indeed, that's interesting for those pubs who don't create video inventory ..

Diana Regal from Teads, January 5, 2015 at 5:16 p.m.

The outstream format is skippable from the start, audible only when one's mouse hovers above it, and immediately stops playing once out of view. It's specifically designed to be far less obtrusive than other video advertising formats.