AOL debuts new platform for video ads

AOL has introduced a video ticker developed with media services firm PointRoll.
The video ticker is a graphic banner ad that is integrated within a streaming video at the bottom of the video player. When clicked, the ad expands while the video pauses and the video ad runs within the viewer. Unclicked ads disappear after 15 seconds, leaving the branded text link. The new video ticker ads will run across the AOL Network of premium video content in the AOL Video media player platform.

Rob Clark, VP of publisher sales at Pointroll, said both companies were taking a leadership position.

“Right now online video is taking a broadcast medium and putting it online,” Clark said. “But, the online space is more interactive, so we saw this as a potential for additional revenue and to a potential way to change the way the online video advertising was done.”

AOL has made several other announcements in regards to its ad products recently, including enhancing its opt-out process to include behavioral targeting. It plans to implement public service banner ads across AOL-owned and operated and third party networks extolling the program with technology from recently acquired behavioral firm Tacoda.