Findings of new research by the Free Wheel Council for Premium Video - an ad-serving company owned by Comcast - suggest that 6-second video ads are best used as reinforcers following a longer ad - as opposed to as teasers preceding it.

Researchers exposed 4885 participants aged 18-65 to different ad scenarios - 6, 15 and 30-second ads from 6 campaigns by 3 well-known brands - alongside short-form NBC premium video. Scenarios also varied in ad position in sequence, and content length (long vs. short).

Highlights:

• 6-second ads following 30-second ads increased viewers' perceived happiness, engagement and brand favorability.
• 6-second ads shown last following short-form content had engagement levels comparable to those of the content itself, and produced highest expressed purchase intent.
• A sequence of 30-second ads (only) was seen as less enjoyable vs.sequences of 6 or 15-second ads, or mixed sequences of 30, 15, 6-second ads, when shown with short-term video content.
• 15-second ads only are seen as twice as effective as 6-second ads or 30-second ads only.
• Exposure to sequential ads of different lengths led to higher brand recall, particularly unaided recall.
• Researchers found no significant effect of participant age in this study.

So neither longer nor shorter ads are always most effective - it's the sequencing and the match of ad length to content length that count. Good to know.