360 Degree Ad Format by Advrtas Achieves 85 Percent Ad Engagement

As Mobile World Congress Wraps, New Case Study Reveals 360 Degree Ad Formats with Virtual Reality Mode Could Be Next Big Format For Mobile

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Outlyer Technologies

Mar 02, 2017, 09:47 ET

LOS ANGELES, Calif., March 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In an age where advertisers and digital publishers are faced with the challenge of banner blindness, digital ad formats that feature 360 degree content represent an entirely new opportunity when it comes to triggering and sustaining ad engagement. A recent case study released by 360 degree and virtual reality industry pioneer Outlyer Technologies for its 360 degree and virtual reality ad solution Advrtas reveals that both mobile and desktop users find the new 360 degree ad format incredibly compelling – so much so that 85% who saw a 360 degree ad on mobile engaged with it. The study's findings were released by Outlyer on the heels of Mobile World Congress while the company was presenting at IAB Canada's "The Business of Digital Seminar Series" focused on Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality.

Insights gleaned from a 4Q 2016 test ad campaign Advrtas did for the new NCIS: Hidden Crimes app reveal that 360 degree ad formats can trigger 85% engagement on mobile and 33% engagement on desktop. The results of the study also suggest that 360 degree ads can sustain engagement as the length of time engaged with the 360 degree ad was triple that of the industry average for a video ad. The 360 degree ad unit with 1-touch virtual reality mode was hosted and served leveraging Advrtas' proprietary and patent-pending Panamorphic technology and published across the CBS network of sites. On mobile, consumers were able to engage with the ad by simple device movement or screen-touch and explore it in full 360 degrees – "magic window" style - in vertical and landscape formats. The ad could also be experienced in virtual reality mode using a Google Cardboard or similar virtual reality headset with one touch. On desktop mouse movement, consumers were able to control the ad experience.

In addition to enhancing ad engagement, The Advrtas technology enables an entirely new set of metrics to be collected providing advertisers with brand and ad engagement data never before possible. "Unique to 360 degree ad formats is the ability to interact with ads at more heightened and immersive levels," said Outlyer Technologies CEO Robert Bruza. "When you combine this enhanced engagement with the advanced data collection points inherent with this new platform, you can begin to see how the combination of analytics and engagement can synergize to ultimately enhance the overall ad experience for consumers." Bruza went on to say that, "360 degree ad formats are a win for all parties – the consumer now has more control to explore more of the content they find interesting, brands have a powerful new engagement tool in their hands and publishers have a new and highly effective premium ad unit to sell."

While the Advrtas solution accommodates 360 degree video and images, VR and CG content, what is also notable about the test ad campaign and its high engagement results is that the ad was created almost entirely by leveraging 2D images and assets; a feature unique to Advrtas. With the cost of a 360 video shoot being one of the leading barriers to entry for brands wanting to advertise leveraging the emerging technologies of 360 and VR, the ability to use 2D assets provides a more affordable option for brands to get their feet wet in the 360 and VR advertising waters. Meanwhile, the Advrtas platform further helps to facilitate ROI for 360 video production as it provides brands willing to incur 360 video costs with a distribution channel beyond social media outlets like Facebook and YouTube.

Another ancillary benefit of Advrtas 360 degree ad formats is their potential to alleviate viewablity issues within the digital ad industry as a) the technology easily tracks when an ad is in view and b) the ability to move your device and view more content on mobile solves the "small screen" problem. As such, Advrtas 360 degree ad formats have the potential to shake up the digital ad ecosystem as they offer levels of immersion and brand engagement never before possible – especially on mobile - while simultaneously delivering advanced analytics and addressing key industry pain points.

For more details and insights into the 360 degree and virtual reality test ad campaign conducted by Advrtas, download the complete free case study by visiting here.

About Outlyer Technologies

Outlyer Technologies is on a mission to elevate the consumer-brand relationship to a point where advertising is no longer seen as an intrusion but rather as a welcomed visitor into the content consumption landscape. We do this by creating best-in-class advertising and marketing technology solutions that leverage emerging content platforms like spherical 360 degrees, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR). In Spring 2016 Outlyer was first-to-market with a fully interactive 360 degree, rich media ad technology platform complete with one-touch virtual reality mode called Advrtas. Advrtas' product suite features IAB compliant ad units that are designed to work everywhere - across all smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktops - engaging audiences wherever they are. Viewers can control their ad experience on smartphones and tablets by either moving their devices or swiping their fingers on-screen, and on desktop by moving a mouse. One-touch VR mode makes the ads viewable via mobile on any cardboard or similar VR viewing device.

For more information about Outlyer Technologies and its product Advrtas please visit: