YouTube midrolls turn out to leave negative but deep impression

A study found that midroll advertisement, a short advertisement video that starts in the middle of content on YouTube or other video platforms, impresses audiences more deeply than ads playing ahead of and following videos – because viewers find it a negatively unforgettable memory to be irritated by sudden midrolls while indulging in intriguing content.

A research team led by UNIST professor Kim Sung-phil in the Department of Biomedical Engineering on Wednesday released the results of brain waves measured to interpret emotional response to midrolls, and ads streaming ahead of and after video content. According to the study, subjects remembered more ads after watching video clips with midrolls inserted in them than after coming across ads prior to and following content.

To a group of viewers watching midrolls, the researchers showed a total of six ads - three ads at a time – per video clip. They watched two video clips – an entertainment show and a soap opera – and, thus, 12 ads in total. The other group was exposed to the same number of ads playing ahead of and after content, but not in the middle. As a result, the midroll viewer group showed a negative emotional response but could remember more ads. Even disrupted by midrolls leaving them with a negative impression, they demonstrated little change in their purchase intent. In terms of their level of interest in video content, the two groups did not show any change in strategic significance.


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