Ad-supported streaming services such as Hulu have changed the way viewers experience ads. Other than the usual ads that may disturb binge sessions, these have a twist. According to Variety, new ads will appear for viewers whenever episodes of their favorite shows or movies are paused for any reason.
Among the new ads, one in particular reads, “Need a Break?” coupled with the famous Procter & Gamble’s Charmin bear. The beloved mascot’s ad then flashes, “Enjoy the go.”
These ads all have similar themes, encouraging viewers to have a snack or take a bathroom break. One that could pop up for viewers is Berkshire Hathaway’s Geico, which reads, “Hold the phone.” Last but not least, there seems to be one for Hershey’s Kit Kat, which shows the candy bar famously split in two and reads, “Have a break.”
“Pause ads,” as they are called, only show up for a few seconds for the viewers, and it does not happen every time content is paused. Hulu has been practicing these ads since about 2018, which makes it a newer change.
They have only been showing up more frequently since July, as confirmed by Josh Mattinson, the senior vice president of revenue management and operations for Disney advertisements. These pause ads will be making their way to NBCUniversal’s Peacock and Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max.
“There are hundreds of millions of pauses, done for all the reasons we hit pause at any moment,” said Mattison via Variety, “We look at that as an opportunity for advertisers.”
Streaming companies are utilizing these tools to boost subscriber revenue by pushing for cheaper ad-supported versions of these services. As these companies have far fewer commercials than traditional cable TV, this is an excellent way for advertisers to reach larger audiences.
While nobody likes ads disturbing their viewing experience, more companies are adopting this approach, such as Amazon and Netflix. Creating the perfect harmony of ads and content is incredibly important for this to work. “Pause ad” creators are trying to utilize QR codes within these advertisements to take viewers to purchase or check out the item.
“Having a bad experience or having a lot of ad clutter erodes the impact of ads and is really bad for users,” said Kara Manatt, the executive vice president of intelligence solutions at Magna, a media-research unit of advertising company Interpublic Group, according to Variety, “We found in research that they may actually change their behavior because of this. They may actually cancel their streaming service.”
With the increase of people leaving traditional TV behind, it’s safe to say that more and more companies will implement these ads soon. Big names like Apple, Pfizer and General Motors are considering adding these advertisements to the mix.