We’ve all seen them. Click “play” on your favorite video and suddenly there’s an ad keeping you from your content. But this isn’t television, and these aren’t your standard commercials. This advertiser’s got about 5 seconds to engage you before you consider hitting that “skip ad” button.

There’s no doubt that video is hugely popular and growing more so every day. You need only glance at the YouTube stats to know that’s true, and for advertisers making use of YouTube’s TrueView service, watch time is both a vital and rare resource. With video content increasing conversions by a reported 86 percent, are advertisers taking advantage of the opportunity to resonate with viewers?
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“MEDIUM TAILORED ADS”

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The sheer volume of preroll ads indicate that advertisers are highly aware of their value, but with just five seconds to capture viewers’ attention, the video content must be engaging. Studies show that viewers are more likely to remember a completed preroll ad, so how do you make the most of those fleeting seconds? Here’s what we did for our client The Big E back in September 2012, along with examples of other brands that are getting in on the trend below:

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[Full disclosure: Mascola Group is the marketing partner for The Big E, the fifth largest fair in North America]

Enter a world of self-aware preroll ads

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As a consumer of digital content myself, it’s hard not to take notice of the innovative ways advertisers are finding to retain their audiences. With big players like GEICO and Volkswagon in on the self-aware preroll trend, you can definitely expect more advertisers to jump on this bandwagon sooner or later. Though no significant studies have yet emerged, I can agree that this trend is much more engaging, if not entertaining, in the sense of awareness. With logos front and center and only 5 seconds to get the message across, it’s hard not to acknowledge the brand and maybe even chuckle at the clever ideas that are popping up.

What other creative self-aware preroll ads have you seen? Share them with us in the Comments.