A new subsidiary of private US company Exponential Interactive, called Firefly Video, is offering a new online video advertising platform. The system has just launched and comes out of advertising successes at sister company Tribal Fusion, which is a collection of video based sites, where its approach was pioneered.
The Firefly platform is designed to augment traditional TV advertising or pre-roll advertising that is played out on web video interrupting the video flow. The platform is really about taking up traditional display advert positions which also contain video, around the video you are watching. If an advertiser clicks on it, the video advert expands to fill the entire web page. Hopefully it also freezes the video you were watching, so you don’t lose your place.
This way advertisers can just serve demographic selected internet viewers and not people they don’t wish to reach. Most interruptive video systems can’t use demographics, but instead rely on embedding video in relevant content. This new approach lets advertisers combine the impact of video advertising with detailed targeting, interactivity, and the ability to massively scale and reach hundreds of millions of consumers, the company says.
Firefly is still in beta but is already executing 25 video ad campaigns for advertisers including Hyundai, Dannon, Proctor & Gamble’s Tampax, Nissan, Asics, Guthy Renker and Haagen Dazs. Firefly Video is now looking to partner with other premium publishers, other than those owned by its parent, who wish to serve video ads.
The company explains that pre-roll adverts require a specially integrated video player, which has perhaps slowed down its acceptance as a form of advertising.
“Consumer engagement is all about pulling prospects into your messaging and creating rich, interactive brand experiences. It’s rather opposite from traditional push advertising,” said Marc Barach, CMO of Firefly Video. “We offer a two-step method, which ensures that consumers who see the ad are self-selected and therefore of higher value than consumers who are passively shown ads.”