One of the big difference between a normal banner or native ads on the web and video ads is that the former can be dismissed by just scrolling away.
Video ads on the other hand, requires viewers to see them first, in order to get into what their intention is in visiting that page. This can be a turn off, especially to those viewers in a hurry, and this is also why video ads tend to have that 'Skip' button.
Good for users however, doesn't translate well for advertisers.
Those paying people want their message through, and with users skipping their ads, the purpose of their ads diminishes the lesser seconds they are viewed. For this particular reason, Google announced that it is making its 15-second non-skippable ads available to all advertisers.
Previously, non-skippable ads were only available to those advertisers buying through the YouTube reservation process or its premium Google Preferred Network.
What this mean, these ads weren't available via reservation buy only, and weren't available to advertisers via the auction.
Non-skippable video ad on Google, is an ad format that may appear pre-, mid-, or post-roll while viewing a partner's content.
These ads on both desktop and mobile devices can be up to 15-20 seconds long, and viewers must watch the ad no matter what, before they're able to watch the selected content.
This is an up from the TrueView in-stream ads where viewers have the option to watch the ad in full, or just skip the ad after viewing it for 5 seconds.
In TrueView ad formats, advertisers pay only when a viewer watches at least 30 seconds of an ad or to completion when ads are shorter than 30 seconds. While these ads can have performance elements like calls-to-action, they generally less powerful than non-skippable ads, simply because they're skippable.
Google non-skippable ads on the other hand, are among the most popular video ad format. This is why Google is making them available to all advertisers across its properties, including YouTube.
"Today we’re expanding access to advertisers running auction campaigns," said Ali Miller, product manager, video ads for Google, in a blog post announcing the change on January 22, 2019.
While regarded as more traditional than the TrueView ads, non-skippable ads can be valuable for branding and reach, and also for advertisers who want to re-purpose existing creative designed for television and other non-skippable environments.
There have been brand safety concerns happening for years, but video ads are here to stay.
Globally, advertisers spent more than $27 billion in 2018, or up 30 percent from the prior year, according to eMarketer.
"Recognizing that advertisers should have access to the full range of creative options regardless of how they buy – whether in advance via reservation or in the Google Ads auction – we’re bringing non-skippable 15-second ads to Google Ads and Display and Video 360, across YouTube and Google video partners," continued Miller.
While the expanded ads do benefit advertisers, Google isn't forgetting its users, as these non-skippable ads should not affect the overall YouTube user experience. Google noted that it will continue to have protections in its ad system to cap the number of ads a user sees.
"Meanwhile, we continue to have protections in our ad system to cap the number of ads a user sees, to ensure users have a great experience while watching YouTube," said Miller.