Video Web sites have spent the past year trying to find a way to present online ads that consumers won't click off and advertisers will still like.
What's at issue is finding a
replacement for the preroll, the video ads that users are forced to watch before viewing a clip. Advertisers liked prerolls because they could use commercials already produced for TV in the spots, and
Web publishers loved the high prices they commanded. But users grew annoyed by the intrusion, and Google's YouTube and other video-sharing newcomers rose to popularity partly by ditching the format.
The sites and advertisers are now citing success with graphics that slide over the bottom of the video-viewing screen, allowing them to market to users without interrupting the clip. A user
can usually click on the graphic -- sometimes known as overlays, bugs or tickers -- to pause the video and see more information from the advertiser. Other marketers are seeing results with ad graphics
that surround the video player screen, often known as player skins, especially when used in concert with video ads dropped into clips like TV commercials.
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