Bumper Ads, Captivate Your Audience in 6 Seconds!
Since its launch in 2017, the Bumper Ads format has become a staple of marketing strategies! But how do they work? What are the advantages and inspirations? Find out in this guide everything you need to know about using Bumper Ads!
Understanding How Bumper Ads Work
What is a Bumper Ad?
Bumper Ads are one of the video advertising formats offered by YouTube. They are very short videos, 6 seconds or less, that allow you to reach YouTube viewers. They are displayed in YouTube videos, as well as on Google’s video partner sites and apps.
Bumper Ads must be hosted on YouTube and cannot be skipped by users, so the viewer is sure to come across your advert. It’s important to make the most of this powerful format that improves your visibility, because you have only 6 seconds to deliver the right message and pique viewers’ curiosity.
These ads are based on a Cost Per Mille (CPM) bidding system. When creating the campaign, you will select your target CPM, which indicates the amount you are willing to pay for your ad to be displayed a thousand times.
The Challenge of Bumper Ads: Creativity
The biggest challenge of Bumper Ads facing advertisers is creativity. In just six seconds, you need to find the right words and images to capture the viewer’s attention.
With Bumper Ads, you can enhance your brand storytelling and reinvent your universe. It’s also an ideal format for evoking emotions. Whether you want to surprise, intrigue, or tease your audience, with the right creative agency, you’ll see the results.
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1Bn
hours of video
are watched every day on YouTube -
70%
of views
come from mobile devices -
90%
of YouTube users
discover new brands and products
What are the benefits of the Bumper Ads format?
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Visibility
As the ad cannot be skipped, you have almost guaranteed visibility.
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Mobile-first
More and more content is consumed via mobile phones, especially videos, and this format is perfectly suited to smartphones.
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Voice
This format allows you to have an impact on viewers with a powerful message in a very short time.
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Amplification
Bumper Ads are an excellent way to extend the reach of an advertising campaign through teasing.
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Curiosity
You don’t need to sell your product directly, just make sure people remember you.
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Complementarity
For maximum reach, this format can be used alongside other, related YouTube ads.
Capturing users’ attention on mobile
Our tips for successful Bumper Ads
With just six seconds to make yourself stand out, you need to get straight to the point. When creating your ads, think of your videos as a series of 3 or 4 ads with different messages, rather than just a single video. Focus on a message, be it teasing, launching a product, or highlighting a benefit. There should be a striking element to grab the viewer’s attention in the first few seconds of the video.
For effective results, you should combine the Bumper Ads format with other YouTube formats.
How to use Bumper Ads?
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Step 1
Do the groundwork
You will need to either create an insertion order or duplicate an existing one. You may also copy a previous insertion order and just modify the elements. Next, click on the ‘New line item’ button and choose ‘YouTube and partners’.
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Step 2
Create a campaign
You have two options, create a campaign with the “brand awareness and reach” objective or choose a “without goal’s guidance” campaign. Here, you can choose the ad format, namely Bumper Ads.
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Step 3
Configure your elements
Select the broadcast period, indicate budget and broadcast rate parameters, and specify an auction adjustment according to the device used. You can also select the exposure frequency limit of the ad.
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Step 4
Create the ad group
First, choose the name of the ad group, then configure its target audience. Next, pick your target CPM bid.
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Step 5
Create the ad
After naming your ad, you will need to add the YouTube video URL. You will also need to select or add an associated banner and insert a CTA overlay on your video. If you want to create multiple ads, simply repeat the different steps to broadcast your ads.
Relevant Examples of Bumper Ads!
YouTube Sets a Challenge for Professionals
During the Sundance Film Festival, YouTube challenged directors and creative agencies to tell a story through a 6-second video, the maximum length of a Bumper Ad, which can become very difficult to master.
Examples of Successful Videos
Maud Deitch managed to rise to the challenge. Her advice? “Create your story like a joke.” Her six-second video is relevant and simple, and shows the evolution of Los Angeles over the years, with a fairly dramatic edge that speaks to everyone. We end up being almost fearful to see the diver reach the bottom of the pool…
On the other hand, director Alexandre Engel started with a six-second video that we can all relate to: a delivery person rings the bell and then disappears just as quickly, leaving a “Sorry we missed you” note, even though you’re there.
Our Commitment
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Expertise
Since 2010, we have worked with over 2000 clients across 90 countries.
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Passion
We are a team of passionate, industry-focused individuals who are committed to your success.
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Performance
We’re committed to implementing a data-driven strategy, making a real impact on your bottom line by providing avenues for growth.
Any questions?
The bumper format is unique to YouTube. This video ad format, with a maximum duration of six seconds, is displayed before, during or after a video. With this type of video, users cannot ignore the ad, they have no choice but to see your message.
Bumper Ads are displayed on YouTube, as well as on Google video partners’ sites and apps.
For this format, you define a target CPM bid when creating your ad and only pay based on the number of impressions.
If you want to advertise on YouTube, you’ll need to use the Google Ads interface. You’ll then have the option to create a new campaign, based on your objectives (e.g. Audience and brand awareness, traffic to a website, etc.).
You’ll also need to set up your campaign by choosing the types of ads you want to use, as well as the placements, your budget, your target audience, and even the campaign’s release date.
The bumper format allows you to reach a very wide audience. Since the video is non-skippable, the user is forced to watch it, meaning even if the user doesn’t want to see the ads, they have no choice.
If you do it right, you can easily capture users’ attention and keep your company or brand in their heads. The bumper format can be used simply for teasing, or alongside an InStream ad, for example. The more visible you are, the more users will remember you and your brand.
Moreover, the short format does not disturb the user too much, who ends up easily remembering the key message of the ad.
