• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, November 19, 2007

In the latest effort to find an alternative to pre-roll video ads, AOL this morning announced plans to begin offering "video ticker ads," a graphic banner ad this is integrated directly into streaming video content.

The new advertising format, which was developed in conjunction with rich media developer PointRoll, is designed in such a way that it is visible on screen will a video is running, but does not obstruct the video viewing experience. When clicked on by a consumer, the ticker expands to launch a video ad, or an interactive Flash ad, within the video player window, the companies said.

AOL's video ticker ad appears at the bottom of the video player 10 seconds into the video stream. When clicked by a user, the ad expands while the video pauses. If the user does not interact with the ad, it will dissolve after 15 seconds leaving the branded text link. Clicking on the branded text link, located at the top of the video player, will relaunch the ticker.

AOL said the new ticker ads initially will be available across its network of premium video content utilizing the newest version of the AOL Video media player platform.

While the industry has been developing other "overlay" solutions to integrate banner ads adjacent to video content, AOL and PointRoll claimed their new ticker ads create a more interactive experience, enabling users to access advertising content while viewing video content.

The new formats come as pre-roll ads have emerged as the de facto industry standard format, but which are also breeding discontent among consumers, advertisers and publishers alike.