Interactive Video Ads: The Engagement Tool for Millennial and Gen Z Audiences

Millennial and Gen Z audiences are notoriously elusive when it comes to reaching them with advertising, let alone actually engaging them! Enter interactive video ads: the ultimate way to capture the attention of these critical target demographics. Interactive video ads provide an immersive experience that is personalized and engaging, making them the perfect way to connect with this demo. By using interactive video ads for instream and outstream video placements, companies can create compelling video ad content that is tailored to the interests of their target audience and drives engagement in a creative and effective way. In this blog post, we will explore the advantages of interactive video ads across screens and how they can be used to maximize reach and engagement for Millennial and Gen Z audiences.

What are interactive video ads?

Interactive video ads, also known as interactive advertising or rich media advertising for video, are a form of online video advertising that can be used to engage with Millennial and Gen Z audiences. These ads provide consumers with an interactive, lean-in experience versus a static, lean-back experience, that allows them to interact with the content of the ad in a way that traditional non-interactive video ads can’t. Interactive video ads typically incorporate interactive elements such as polls, surveys, quizzes, animation, and games, which makes them much more engaging for viewers. Interactive video ads can be used across the funnel to promote brand awareness, drive conversions, and engage with Millennial and Gen Z audiences.

Why are they so effective?

Interactive video advertising is an incredibly effective form of advertising, particularly when targeting millennials and Gen Z audiences in both instream and outstream environments. By creating dynamic, engaging experiences that enable viewers to interact with the content, brands can create meaningful connections with their target audiences. Interactive video ads have been proven to be more memorable and have a higher engagement rate than traditional advertising methods. In addition, interactive video ads are well-suited for digital and CTV platforms, which are increasingly becoming the primary way for Millennials and Gen Z consumers to engage with brands and their products. With interactive video ads, businesses can capitalize on these digital platforms to maximize their reach and engage potential customers in an entertaining and compelling way.

How can you create interactive video ads?

1. Research Your Audience: Before you begin crafting your interactive video ad, it is important to do some research into the type of people you are trying to reach. Knowing who your audience is and what interests them will help you to create an ad that resonates with them.

2. Keep it Simple: Interactive video ads should be kept short and concise in order to hold viewers’ attention. A good rule of thumb is to aim for no more than 15 seconds of total runtime.

3. Focus on Engagement: An interactive video ad should be designed to prompt engagement from viewers. This could involve asking a question, offering an incentive, or providing a direct call-to-action.

4. Use Interactive Elements: Incorporating interactive elements into your ad such as polls, quizzes, or maps can help to increase engagement and make your ad more memorable.

5. Personalize the Ad: Adding personalization to your interactive video ads is a great way to make them more appealing to millennials and Gen Z audiences. This can include incorporating user-generated content or using targeted messaging based on demographic information.

6. Test and Analyze: Always test your interactive video ads and analyze the results in order to measure their success and improve upon them. Pay attention to metrics such as click-through rates, conversions, and engagement levels.

Examples of interactive video ads

Whether it be instream video advertising, outstream video advertising, or Connected TV advertising - adding interactive elements to your video advertising will deliver business results. The possibilities and the placement of interactive video ads are truly endless. Interactive video provides an engaging ad experience for Millennials and Gen Z for every advertising objective, on any screen. 

In this example of interactive instream video advertising that runs as pre-roll on desktop, a retailer leverages interactive product cards that provide more information on products shown in the video ad with clear “Shop Now” CTAs that seamlessly drive consumers to the point of purchase. 

This interactive outstream video advertising example on mobile leverages the native scroll functionality of the smartphone to expand the video as a consumer scrolls down the page. An interactive overlay encourages consumers to “Shop Now.”

Finally, this interactive Connected TV advertising example runs across CTV devices with an engaging canvas that encompasses the video asset, and a prominent QR code that leads to a SecondScreen experience for consumers to learn more.

Repurposed, static assets from TV are a thing of the past. It’s time to usher in a new era of interactive video ads that create meaningful, lean-in brand experiences. Contact us to learn more about how you can take advantage of interactive video advertising.