Thanks to a new mobile format launched at an event held at Cannes Lions by News Corp and Unruly advertisers can now run viewable vertical video campaigns across News Corp titles. But, with the stigma still associated with “Vertical Video Syndrome,” will they use it?

Well, we’ll soon find out. The outstream vertical video format is now live on The Sun and The New York Post, allowing advertisers to unlock the putative power of mobile video and maximize viewer attention. The mobile web format guarantees video views are viewable, as defined by the Media Ratings Council (MRC) and measured by launch partner Moat.

To help brands create best-in-class content for this emerging format, Unruly also announced the launch of the Vertical Video Collective – a network of mobile-first content creators specializing in creating video for vertical viewing. A group photo was unavailable, so we don’t know if these creators are all tall and skiny.

Mobile is increasingly the device of choice for consumers watching video online, with 45% of all global digital video views now taking place on mobile, according to eMarketer, and a quarter of consumers watching more than 10 videos a week on their phones, according to an Unruly Mobile Video Survey.

Unruly’s new ad unit, compatible with both iOS and Android devices, displays ads the same way viewers consume videos on their mobile devices. Recent research has found that 29% of videos are viewed vertically, according to Mary Meeker’s 2016 Internet Trends presentation, while according to the Unruly Mobile Video Survey:

• 53% of consumers and 57% of Millennials find turning their phone horizontally to watch their video in full screen annoying;
• 34% of consumers and 43% of Millennials always or often use rotation lock to lock their phones to vertical mode;
• 74% of people say they stop watching a video ad when the sound plays automatically.

According to Unruly, there are also key benefits for advertisers:

• The format inserts advertisers’ vertical video content into contextually relevant articles, maximizing attention;
• The format only begins to play when the video is in-view, and can be shared or scrolled past at any time, giving users ultimate control;
• The format loads after the editorial content and only plays sound when the viewer has actively activated sound using in-board controls.

Availability and Additional Info

The new vertical video format is available on The Sun and The New York Post exclusively for the first month. The format is available to buy programmatically through UnrulyX, the viewable video SSP, and via both Unruly and News’ direct sales teams from today. You can see a demo here and download the Unruly Mobile Video Survey findings here.

What Do You Have To Say?

At the announcement, Derek Brown, head of strategy at The Sun, said, “Video is a key part of The Sun’s editorial strategy going forward, so creating advertising formats that reflect this is vital. We know that our readers engage with video advertising, but we’re also aware that they dislike intrusive and inconvenient advertising. Unruly’s vertical video format offers them polite and non-intrusive video advertising that fits seamlessly into their mobile browsing experience.”

Jonah Goodhart, CEO and co-founder of Moat, added, “Ultimately, brand advertising is about creating the right storytelling experience for the consumer. TV has historically done this successfully for many marketers, but with changing consumer behavior, we need to figure out the right way to tell brand stories in digital. New formats are certainly going to be part of the formula for success and Unruly is taking a leadership role in driving forward this effort.”

Finally, Sarah Wood, co-CEO and co-founder at Unruly, said, “The landscape is changing fast and our vertical format will help brands connect more authentically, intimately and effectively with mobile audiences. The Vertical Video Collective, also launching today, will give brands access to some of the freshest video makers, creating content that’s engineered to succeed in a mobile viewing environment.”

But, you can expect them to say things like this at their own join announcement. The real question is: What do you have to say? Has Unruly found a cure for Vertical Video Syndrome? Share your feedback in the comments section below.