4 types of video advertising to look out for in 2025

Video advertising remains one of the most powerful ways for brands to engage consumers. As the digital landscape evolves, advertisers and publishers alike have access to a diverse range of video formats designed to meet different objectives and deliver varied user experiences. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most effective types of video advertising today.

1. High impact video display ads

Display advertising has evolved far beyond static banners. High impact video formats combine the immersive nature of video with the prominence of large-format display placements.

Why they work:

• Designed for attention: Formats like Mobile Midscroll and Desktop Skins dominate the screen and support interactive elements like carousels and CTAs to drive attention and engagement.
• Only plays when seen: With the right provider, video display ads begin only when visible, ensuring genuine attention and eliminating inflated view metrics.
• Brand-safe by default: Partnering with premium publishers keeps ads off low-quality or user-generated content.
• Data-light delivery: Streaming tech delivers video efficiently, minimising bandwidth while preserving quality.

High impact video display ads help advertisers break through banner blindness, delivering video experiences that truly capture and hold user attention.

2. Social video advertising

Social platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and Snapchat have all built native video ad ecosystems. These formats include Stories, Reels, in-feed video, and more.

Social video strengths:

• Massive reach and targeting: Reach audiences based on behaviour, interests, and demographics.
• User-generated style: Ads can mimic organic content for higher engagement.
• Strong metrics: Platforms offer built-in analytics and optimisation tools.

Social video advertising can be good for both brand awareness and performance campaigns when brands want to meet users in their preferred digital spaces. While this type of advertising offers reach and targeting, it also comes with notable downsides.

One major concern is brand safety - ads can appear alongside controversial or low-quality content, potentially harming brand reputation. Additionally, ad fatigue is common, as users scroll through high volumes of content rapidly, making it harder for ads to capture lasting attention. There’s also limited control over placement and context, and performance can be impacted by ever-changing platform algorithms. Lastly, while engagement metrics may look promising, actual attention quality can be low with users passively doom-scrolling.

3. In-stream video advertising (VAST)

In-stream video ads appear directly inside video content, typically as pre-roll, mid-roll, or post-roll ads. The VAST (Video Ad Serving Template) standard enables seamless delivery of video ads across different video players, allowing for engaging placements within premium content.

Key benefits of in-stream VAST solutions:

• Premium environments: Advertise around high-quality content from top publishers.
• Pre-roll, mid-roll & post-roll flexibility: Tailor placements to fit your objectives.
• Interactive overlays: Boost engagement with clickable product carousels and other interactive features.
• Repurpose existing assets: Use existing video files without additional production time and costs.
• Comprehensive measurement: Tools like Sonar by Adnami let you track KPIs like attention, starts, completions, and view-through rates.

In-stream video offers a highly immersive format where ads are placed directly in the content stream, maximising attention and engagement. Adnami recently started offering publishers a variety of in-stream video templates using VAST. Reach out if you want to learn more.

4. Rewarded video advertising

Rewarded video ads are commonly used in mobile apps, particularly in gaming. These ads offer users a reward (e.g., extra lives, in-game currency, or premium content) in exchange for watching a video ad in full.

Why rewarded video works:

• High completion rates: Users choose to watch for tangible benefits.
• Positive user sentiment: Ads offer an instant reward, positively influencing sentiment.
• Engaged audiences: Viewers are more attentive due to the opt-in nature.

This format is effective for performance marketing, app installs, and brand storytelling within highly engaged user environments.

Transparent measurement: The key to smarter, more efficient video advertising

Regardless of which type of video advertising you choose, transparent measurement is essential for optimising performance and ensuring effectiveness. Robust video analytics can provide insights into:

• Video starts, quartiles, completes, and view-through rates.
• Attention metrics that account for player size, screen size, ad position, and engagement signals.
• Actionable data to refine targeting and creative strategy.

Transparent measurement allows advertisers to identify high-performing placements, eliminate wasted impressions, and continuously optimise campaigns based on real user attention and engagement.

The future of video advertising is flexible and measurable

Video advertising now offers more flexibility and precision than ever before. From immersive in-stream formats to high impact display placements, mobile rewarded videos, and dynamic social video ads, advertisers and publishers can tailor their video strategies to achieve specific objectives while reaching audiences in brand-safe, engaging environments.

To ensure video campaigns are truly effective, measurement tools like Sonar by Adnami play a crucial role. Sonar goes beyond basic metrics by capturing detailed attention signals, such as screen size, ad placement, and user engagement, offering a deeper understanding of how viewers interact with your content. This level of transparency empowers marketers to make smarter decisions, optimise performance in real-time, and eliminate wasted impressions.

Adnami offers a variety of video solutions optimised for getting maximum attention. Let's talk if you'd like to get started.