Comprehensive Guide to Video Creative Specification for Advertising

Why Video Creatives Matter for Digital Advertising

Video creatives are one of the most powerful tools for digital advertisers due to their engaging and interactive nature. These video ads are more effective than traditional display ads, offering higher conversion rates and better engagement by capturing the audience's attention from start to finish. In addition, video creatives can be customized in various ways to fit specific marketing goals and increase viewability, leading to improved campaign performance.

​

Key Benefits of Using Video Creatives in Advertising

• Higher Conversion Rates: Video ads can effectively capture user attention and increase the likelihood of engagement, making them ideal for driving conversions.

• Increased Flexibility: Video creatives can be designed in multiple rich media formats, allowing advertisers to tailor the creative to different types of devices and marketing goals.

• Enhanced Interactivity: Video creatives can incorporate interactive elements, such as clickable links or dynamic features, which encourage user interaction and improve the viewer experience.

​

Types of Video Inventory Supported

There are two main types of video inventory used in digital advertising:

1. In-Stream Video Ads

   • Placement: In-stream video ads are displayed within video players across websites, mobile apps, and Connected TV (CTV) platforms.

   • Ad Delivery: These video ads can play before, during, or after existing video content (pre-roll, mid-roll, post-roll).

   • Serving Methods: Video ads can either be hosted on a platform or trafficked via third-party ad servers.

2. Out-Stream Video Ads

   • Placement: Out-stream ads appear in smart video players embedded within web content. These ads expand automatically when the viewer scrolls to them, making them ideal for mobile and desktop experiences.

   • Features: Out-stream ads support skippability, autoplay, and other customizable settings that depend on the publisher's preferences.

   • Compatibility: Fully compatible with HTML5 and works seamlessly across desktop and mobile devices.

​

Understanding VAST and VPAID Formats for Video Ads

VAST (Video Ad Serving Template):

• Purpose: VAST is an XML-based protocol used for delivering video ads to video players. It transfers metadata such as ad duration, creative URL, and tracking beacons. VAST provides a standardized way to serve video content from ad servers to video players on webpages.

• Supported Versions: Version 2.0 and higher are fully supported.

• Limitations: VAST allows for unidirectional communication, meaning the video player cannot interact with the ad creative once it’s loaded, except for tracking events during playback.

• Usage: Ideal for linear ads, such as pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll video placements.

• Important Note: Out-stream video demand can only be delivered through VAST for real-time bids (RTB).

VPAID (Video Player-Ad Interface Definition):

• Purpose: VPAID enables rich media ads that allow interaction between the ad creative and the video player. It’s used for creating more dynamic and interactive video experiences.

• Usage: Suitable for interactive features like filling out forms, taking surveys, or playing games within the video ad.

• Supported Features: VPAID supports multiple interactive and rich media elements that make ads more engaging. For example, viewers can zoom in/out, expand views, or interact with the content inside the video ad.

• Ad Format: VPAID is best for executable in-stream video formats that require software logic to be executed.

​

Video Creative Specifications: Guidelines for Quality

To ensure your video creatives meet industry standards and perform optimally, adhere to these detailed technical specifications:

1. File Size Limit

   • Max Size: 1 GB for hosted video creatives.

2. Bit Rate

   • Recommended Minimum: 2500 kbps. Higher bit rates result in better video quality, especially for high-definition videos.

3. Video Dimensions

   • Minimum Dimensions: 1280px x 720px (HD resolution). Higher resolutions are supported, such as Full HD (1080p) and 4K (2160p).

4. Supported Video Formats

   • File Types: The video creative must be created in one of the following formats:

     • 3G2 (3GPP2), 3GP (3GPP), ASF, AVI, FLV, MP4, MOV, MKV, MPEG, WebM, WMV, and many others.

5. VAST Support

   • VAST Versions Supported: Version 2.0 and higher for video creatives.

​

Resolution and Bit Rate Guidelines for Hosted Video Creatives

When creating video creatives to be hosted on a platform, adhere to the following resolution and bit rate recommendations for optimal performance:

Resolution (px)

Recommended Bit Rate (kbps)

2160 (4K)

30,000

1280 (HD)

8,000

1080 (Full HD)

7,000

720 (HD)

2,500, 2,000, 1,700, 1,100, 600

432

1,700, 1,500, 1,000, 500

​

Third-Party Video Creative Guidelines

When trafficking video creatives via a third-party ad server, adhere to these guidelines:

1. VAST Check:

   • External VAST ad servers must submit content for validation through VAST Check functionality before being saved.

2. Video Duration (for Google Inventory):

   • Max Duration: 15 or 30 seconds for Google inventory. If your video ad exceeds 15 seconds, we recommend including a skippable option for viewer convenience.

3. Multiple Bit Rates for Video Creatives:

   • Provide multiple bit rates for videos transcoded into FLV, MP4, or WebM formats:

     • 500 kbps (mobile optimization)

     • 1200 kbps

     • 2500 kbps (high-speed internet)

4. VPAID Creatives:

   • Security: Ensure all VPAID creatives are securely tagged and every referenced file is secured.

5. VAST URL Formatting:

   • Valid Characters: Only use alphanumeric characters and basic symbols in the VAST URL and third-party segments.

   • Invalid Characters: Avoid characters like |, <, >, ^, {, }.

   • Brackets: Prefix curly brackets {} with $ if used in the VAST URL.

​

Important Considerations for Chrome’s Heavy Ad Intervention (September 2020 Update)

Google Chrome introduced a feature that monitors ad iframes to prevent ads from overusing resources and potentially affecting the user experience. This can be problematic for video ads that exceed certain thresholds, including:

1. Heavy Ads:

   • Video ads using over 4 MB of data or consuming significant resources (e.g., CPU or network) may be flagged as “heavy ads” and redirected to an error page.

2. Key Criteria for Heavy Ads:

   • CPU Usage: The main thread used for more than 60 seconds total or more than 15 seconds in a 30-second window.

   • Network Bandwidth: Exceeding 4 MB of network bandwidth consumption.

​

Recommendation: Ensure your video creative complies with the technical specifications to avoid triggering Chrome’s intervention.