Has Impact BBDO Dubai cracked the pre-roll ads formula with new Snickers videogame?

Posted on 2017 Feb,16 | By Maya Moussa

Impact BBDO Dubai has recently released the world’s first pre-video videogame for Snickers that serves as a fresh new take on the brand’s popular “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” platform but also works as a trial in challenging the skippable format of pre-roll video advertising.

The main objective behind the innovative approach is to create an opportunity where the key idea - cracking the formula of the pre-roll format - is evolved in a way that brings the world of Snickers to life from a different perspective while making pre-roll spots more enjoyable for viewers.

Since pre-rolls on YouTube are famed for being skipped, Snickers created two different videos titled “Wrestler” and “Rockstar” that allow the viewer to actively engage in playing a game, using only the pause button, before watching the actual desired video. The catch is being able to seize a Snickers bar at the right time in order to feed the hungry hero and allow him to convert back to his non-hungry self – staying true to the Snickers catchphrase.

The challenge was to create an ‘unskippable’ ad, however, being faced with YouTube’s pre-roll limitations there was no other option but to turn the obstacle into a creative opportunity and deal with the only user input permitted – the actual pause button. Of course, the most addictive games are always the simplest ones. Something about those pixels and ‘bleeps and bloops’ just puts you in the mood to play from the get go.

Having the game thrust upon the audience when expected the least makes it all the more exciting. Enticing engagement and creating game stamina actually make pre-rolls not so cringe worthy after all.

The two commercials will run as pre-rolls for regular videos on YouTube. And because most people now have the ability to pause live TV, Impact BBDO Dubai is also preparing a version for regular TV commercial breaks.