The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) recently released a set of guidelines for creating online video commercials as well as a compliance program to assist advertisers identify publishers and technology providers that follow the guidelines. Some big name Web companies have signed on to the compliance program like Yahoo!, Walt Disney Internet, MSN, Fox Interactive, CBS, and NY Times Digital.
The Broadband Video Commercial creative guidelines, says IAB, were developed to enhance the user experience without constraining creative opportunities for marketers while improving the efficiency of planning, buying, and creating online media. The standards are intended to be industry-wide.
“We are confident that this final recommendation will benefit advertisers, agencies and interactive publishers,” said Greg Stuart, CEO and president of the IAB.
“We’d like to applaud the Broadband Committee for their diligent efforts in collaborating with members of the American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA)’s Interactive Marketing and New Media Committee to solicit feedback and to respond with a set of guidelines that create an industry-wide advertising platform that advertisers and their agencies can smartly utilize across multiple publishers without restricting creativity.”
Some of the guidelines offered include:
In-stream commercials may be up to thirty seconds long for pre and mid-roll commercials. Publishers may offer custom lengths for post roll.
A recommended minimum of 200 Kbps for encoded bit rates.
The minimum player controls present should be Start/Stop and Volume On/Off and Softer/Louder Control. Other recommended and acceptable buttons include Fast Forward/Rewind, Pause, Zoom and other Interactive buttons as needed. The following guidance will be accommodated during play. All buttons should be enabled throughout the play, with the exception of Fast Forward.
IAB members will be eligible for a “compliance seal” indicating they have followed all the guidelines set forth by IAB. By default, compliant publishers agree to accept any agency or advertiser that follow the specifications.
The full set of final guidelines are available here.
