New YouTube vertical video ads adapt to mobile orientation

Sep 14, 2018 | Mobile, Online advertising, Online video

YouTube has announced the new vertical video ads now available for TrueView and Universal App campaigns that will ‘seamlessly adapt’ to horizontal and vertical formats depending on how the viewer is holding the phone.

This means that when you watch a vertical, square or horizontal video on the YouTube mobile app, the YouTube player will seamlessly adapt itself, automatically filling the screen according to the dimensions of the video.

To provide a similar seamless experience for video ads, YouTube adds Vertical video ads to its mobile ad formats. With Vertical video ads for Universal app and YouTube campaigns, you can upload a vertical video and when a viewer see the ads on their mobile device, the player will expand based on the dimensions of the video. With Vertical video ads, YouTube responds to the changing usage and viewing behaviour of its users – more than 70 percent of the viewing time worldwide is now spent on mobile devices.

Vertical video ads are available for YouTube and Universal App campaigns and can be used for any advertising inventory. They are currently limited to TrueView In-Stream Video Displays, TrueView Video Discovery Displays and Bumper Ads.

Car manufacturer Hyundai has already successfully tested Vertical video ads for the launch of the new SUV Hyundai KONA: Vertical video ads increased brand awareness by 33 percent and Consideration by nearly 12 percent.


Neal Mohan, Chief Product Officer, YouTube, said: “Choice has changed the game. Viewers have more choice than ever, from the content they watch, to the apps they use. And, with over 400 hours of content uploaded every single minute, nowhere do viewers have more choice than on YouTube. There are now 1.9 billion monthly logged in users who come to YouTube everyday to engage with video on their own terms. We’re investing in new innovative products that users love and help advertisers reach an engaged audience.”

Further information can be found in the blog post here.

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