IntellectBeat

On April 26, Google Product Manager Zach Lupei announced that YouTube videos viewed on smartphones and tablets will start with a six-second "bumper ad". Described as "little haikus of video ads", the new bumper ads of six seconds will not be skippable. Created specifically for smartphone and tablet users, the new ad format will not replace longer ads, but will be offered to advertisers as a complement to their campaigns. Lupei explains "Bumper ads are ideal for driving incremental reach and frequency, especially on mobile, where "snackable videos" perform well." Bumper ads will be available to advertisers from May onwards.

YouTube on Tuesday added interactive, 360-degree animation video to its line-up, with help from the makers of "Wallace and Gromit." Dubbed "Spotlight Stories," the new feature will be viewable on the YouTube  app of an array of Android-powered smartphones. Showcasing the technology was a Santa-themed short film from Academy Award-winning studio Aardman Animations, entitled "Special Delivery." The animated short centers on a building custodian trying to find a "mysterious stranger" who remains just out of sight but leaves behind a trail of gifts. Designed by  Google  as a new form of storytelling, the immersive films allow users to drill down into sub-stories within their plot by moving their phone towards what they want to see. "The sensors on your phone allow the story to be interactive, so when you move your phone to various scenes, you unlock mini-stories within the story," technical project lead Rachid El Guerrab said in a blo...