Video Clips

Online video ads gaining traction

Jim O'Neill — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:27:03 -0400

Online video ads proved surprisingly popular in a survey of advertising formats across the U.S., U.K. and Europe. The Dynamic Logic survey of 2,308 respondents in the U.S., U.K., Spain, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Germany found online video ads were having an increasing impact across all markets, second only to banner ads as most popular.

In fact, online video ads scored "very positive" or "somewhat positive" with 38 percent of respondents in Italy, 33 percent in Spain and 29 percent in Germany.

And the amount of online video watched continues to grow, with 70 percent of Internet users in every major European market, the U.S. (83 percent) and the U.K. (76 percent) having watched video clips. Italy (90 percent) and Spain (87 percent) watch the most daily.

While earlier research showed online video ads tend to break through the clutter and positively influence brand perceptions, how long they should be, placement and frequency is still up for debate. Germans seem the most patient, willing to sit through 30-45 seconds of ads on a five-minute clip; the French prefer five seconds or less. Mon Dieu!

For more:
- Check out the Marketing Week story

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SPOTLIGHT: Microsoft Combines Chat & Online Video--But Not to U.S.

Doug Mohney — Thu, 15 May 2008 23:05:54 -0400

Microsoft has released Messenger TV, combining Windows Live IM with video software in 20 countries--but not the United States. The service started off in France and now is available in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, and the U.K.; the U.S. and Japan are stiffed in this release.

Messenger TV enables people to watch online video clips together with their friends and IM comments back and forth. Users will be able to share clips from media companies such as MTV Networks, Sony BMG, and EMI Group. U.K. users will also be able to share local TV shows and music videos from third parties.

Clips will be up to four minutes in length, but it's not going to be a free ride. There are ads before the show begins and a banner ad will run at the bottom of the Messenger TV window. Pepsi is reportedly one of the advertisers.

For more:
- Minyanville discusses Microsoft Messenger TV, including a workaround for U.S. users
- PC Advisor looks at Messenger TV in the UK

SPOTLIGHT: Nokia Announces Mobile Filmmaking Awards Finalists

Doug Mohney — Thu, 08 May 2008 12:47:00 -0400

Nokia has announced the five finalists for its 2008 Mobile Filmmaking awards. The winners will be screened during the warm-fuzzy Pangea Day event created by award winning documentary filmmaker Jehane Noujaim. Pangea Day, scheduled for May 10, was created by Noujaim and TED, with support from Nokia, to “connect people by harnessing the power of film and encouraging people to view the world through someone else's eyes.”

(Weren’t we here before with “We are the world?”)

The winners are being flown to Los Angeles to attend one of Pangea Day’s six live broadcast locations. Contestants uploaded their two-minute long entries for the competition to Nokia's Share on Ovi free service; consumers registered on the site voted to select the five finalists. A panel of professional judges will review the finalist entries and pick a winner to be announced during the Pangea Day broadcast. The winner will receive a mobile filmmaking trip to the Rwandan Gorilla Reserve and a production budget to record their trip.

Nokia is doing a lot of legwork to promote mobile video through phones and other mobile devices, adding some social uplifting goodness to make it more attractive. The company has another event lined up with filmmaker Spike Lee to produce a collaborative mashup with video clips submitted online.

For more:
- Nokia’s release announcing Mobile Filmmaking Awards finalists
- View the Mobile Filmmaking Awards finalist clips

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