• NEWS
    • Agencies
    • Brand Marketing
    • Creativity
    • Digital
    • Programmatic
    • TV / Video
    • FEATURED
    • Challenger Brands
    • Inside the Brand
    • Ad of the Day
    • CES
    • Sponsored
  • EVENTS
    • FEATURED
      • Elevate AI 2019
      • March 21, 2019
        New York
    • COMING SOON
    • Adweek Media All-Stars
    • Fastest-Growing Agencies
    • View All Events
  • WEBINARS
    • FEATURED
      • You’re Measuring Influencer Marketing Wrong
      • Tues., March 5, 2019
        1 PM EST
    • COMING SOON
    • CMO Tenure Data Is the Secret to Agency Business Development
    • The Definitive Approach to Advanced Media Measurement
    • View All Webinars
  • CONNECT
    • Media Kit
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Agency Memberships
    • Group Subscriptions
    • Newsletters
    • Contact Us
    • ADVERTISE WITH US
    • Brand Awareness
    • Thought Leadership
    • Lead Generation
    • ADWEEK NETWORK
    • AgencySpy
    • MarketerMoves​
    • Social Pro Daily​
    • TVNewser
    • TVSpy
  • ADWEEK JOBS
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • CURRENT OFFER
    • Unlimited Job Postings
My Account Log Out Sign In Subscribe

Streaming & OTT

Hulu Is Going to Display Static Ads When Viewers Hit Pause

The offering will launch in Q2 of this year

By Sara Jerde
|
January 31, 2019
A 'pause ad unit' will appear on select content in Hulu's library for subscribers.
Hulu
Share
By Sara Jerde
|
January 31, 2019
Share

After a viewer pauses a program and leaves it for a period of time, Hulu will display an ad.

The new advertising experience, what the streaming service is calling a “pause ad unit,” will appear on select content in Hulu’s library for subscribers. Only subscribers to the cheaper, ad-supported content will see the ads. With this new way of advertising, Hulu aims to capitalize on the “unique, natural break” in how a viewer watches content, said Jeremy Helfand, vp, head of ad platforms at Hulu.

If a viewer pauses the content and doesn’t do anything else, like fast forward or skip to another show, an ad will appear and stay on the screen with the paused content until the viewer resumes play.

“This was a pivotal moment to put a stake in the ground,” Helfand told Adweek in a wide-ranging discussion on how Hulu is catering to an audience with changing viewing habits and partnering with brands that want to reach them.

The unit will launch in the second quarter of this year, Helfand said, with Coca Cola and Charmin as beta partners.

“This is a unique and unexpected ad experience that can deliver our “Enjoy the Go” messaging in a way that is non-disruptive and user-initiated, and we’re glad to be a part of this new innovation,” said Janette Yauch, Charmin Brand Director, in a statement.

In the process of developing the idea last year, Hulu realized the ads needed to be subtle, static (so as not to be confused with the content the viewer was watching) and relevant to the viewer.

It’s another way Hulu is offering innovative advertising to appease brands wanting to tell a more enriching story in their ads and audiences wanting a relevant, non-cumbersome viewing experience, Helfand said.

Hulu has consistently expanded its offerings. At its NewFronts presentation last year, the company announced it would introduce advertising in its live TV product. And it looks like that has paid off.

Hulu recently reported two new records for the streaming service: attracting 25 million total subscribers and growing ad revenue to almost $1.5 billion.

“Advertisers recognize that viewing habits have changed, but good advertising hasn’t,” Helfand said.

Share
https://adweek.it/2MI6die
Sara Jerde

Sara Jerde

@SaraJerde
Sara Jerde is the digital media reporter at Adweek, covering publishers and platforms, including the OTT and streaming space.
Adweek Adweek Adweek

Popular Now

  • 1
    Hate Doing Laundry? No Sweat. Tide Just Announced It’ll Do It for You
  • 2
    Any Brand Not Marketing in the Esports World Is Already Behind the Curve
  • 3
    You Can Experience Westeros at SXSW This Year With HBO and Giant Spoon’s Immersive Game of...
  • 4
    Why Budweiser Saved a Super Bowl Spot Starring Charlize Theron for the Oscars
  • 5
    NBCUniversal Entertainment Places Media Planning and Buying Business in Review

Featured Jobs

New Business Sales Executive
Thomson Reuters
New York, New York
Anchor/Producer/Multi-Media Journalist
WENY TV
Horseheads, New York
Account Strategist
Warehouse Twenty One, Inc.
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Art Director
REvolution Digital
Morristown , New Jersey
School Marketing Director
GoNoodle, Inc.
Nashville, Tennessee
See More Jobs

EDITOR'S PICKS

Brand Marketing

Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel's Iconic Creative Director, Was the Brand's 'Modern Era Personified'

by Diana Pearl

Brand Marketing

Hate Doing Laundry? No Sweat. Tide Just Announced It'll Do It for You

by Robert Klara

AdFreak

Thanks to Ancestry, Six Strangers Learn How They're Connected Via the Underground Railroad

by Shannon Miller

SXSW

Michelob Ultra and the Big Quiet Want to Soothe Your SXSW With a Sunset Meditation

by Kristina Monllos

SXSW

You Can Experience Westeros at SXSW This Year With HBO and Giant Spoon's Immersive Game of Thrones Activation

by Kristina Monllos

Brand Marketing

Why Budweiser Saved a Super Bowl Spot Starring Charlize Theron for the Oscars

by Kristina Monllos

Brand Marketing

Burberry Apologizes for Sending Hoodie With Strings Resembling a Noose Down the Runway

by Katie Richards

Ad of the Day

Are Sizzle Reels a Complete Waste of Everyone's Time? The Atlantic and Errol Morris Say Yes

by David Griner
View Latest News >
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • Media Kit
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Sponsor Content
    • Jobs
  • Subscriptions
    • Subscription Options
    • Digital App
    • Newsletters
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Customer Service
  • Awards / Honors / Events
    • Awards and Honors
    • Adweek Events
    • Webinars
    • On-Demand Webinars
    • Trophies / Awards / Seals
  • Publications
    • Adweek Network
    • RSS
    • Backissues
    • Reprints / E-Prints
  • © 2019 Adweek, LLC. - All Rights Reserved
  • About Adweek
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy