• by Alex Weprin , April 2, 2018

Google’s YouTube video platform is rolling out a new version of its TrueView ad format, one designed for reach-based campaigns and to optimize impressions. The format is geared toward videos less than 30 seconds long.

TrueView for reach combines elements of TrueView in-stream ads—which are typically 30 seconds or longer and allow users to skip the ad after five seconds—with the company’s “bumper” ads, which are usually six to 15 seconds long, but are not skippable by the user.

TrueView for reach ads will be skippable after five seconds and sold on a CPM basis, just as with standard TrueView ads, but they are meant to drive reach, rather than target niche viewers. Ads will be shorter, starting at six seconds and going up to 30 seconds.

“Optimized for efficient reach, this format can help you to raise awareness among a broad set of customers — and do so within our 95% viewable and 95% audible environment,” wrote Ali Miller and Khushbu Rathi, product managers for video ads, in a blog post.

YouTube says that in a beta test of TrueView for reach, nine out of 10 campaigns saw a lift in ad recall, with an average lift of almost 20%.