SpotX to offer creative templates for interactive video ads in Southeast Asia

Supply-side video adtech firm SpotX is launching a creative service in Southeast Asia that will offer agencies and advertisers the option to add interactive elements to their online video ads.

The service, called SpotX Studio, will provide advertisers with custom interactive elements like branded skins, overlays and buttons that they can overlay onto their existing video ads to maximise engagement.

Adding an interactive layer such as a poll is particularly relevant in Asia where video streaming is primarily consumed on touch-screen enabled mobile devices, the company said.

SpotX Studio will offer an interactive poll with direct downloadable voucher, to give advertisers a more engaging and personalised way to drive clicks.

The studio offering will be available to advertisers running video campaigns on OTT, premium mobile apps and online publishers. 

Brands from FMCG, ecommerce and entertainment categories have already signed up to use SpotX Studio.

SpotX said the offering was created in direct response to demand from agencies for new and interactive opportunities to engage—particularly in market where mobile dominates video consumption.

Furthermore, the firm's Asia MD Gavin Buxton said that the high cost of creative video production was a concern for many brands, and the company was aiming at removing barriers to entry for brands seeking to invest in OTT and app/online video advertising.

"Advertisers have the opportunity to deliver a more immersive video ad experience whether that's amplifying awareness through greater product or brand prominence to driving action like content discovery, competition entry or requests for information all done within the ad unit," said Buxton.

He added that interactive ads allow brands to offer greater value exchange for consumers: "Combining simple interactivity with first party data like viewing behaviour creates a much more compelling ad and we’re already seeing this approach deliver results."

Mindshare is one of SpotX's partner agencies. Mindshare Indonesia principle partner digital Crisela Magpayo-Cervantes said the studio offering will allow the agency to tailor video ads to different audiences. For example, Korean dramas skew to an older audience due to more sophisticated plotlines whereas Thai dramas have a light hearted feel, and attract younger viewers. While the underlying video ad would stay the same, the overlay, skin or buttons that are added can make more explicit references to the show be that the plotlines or characters in a way that highlights product benefits or messaging.

"We have embraced OTT due to the quality of the content and audiences available, the next opportunity is to create deeper relevancy and for us that must combine creativity and context," Magpayo-Cervantes commented.