While short attention spans are an issue that the entire media industry is trying to tackle, a new report by Liftoff suggests that longer video ads are, on average, up to 50% more effective than shorter ones.

Mobile app marketeers Liftoff have found that adverts that are between 31 to 60 seconds long perform better than shorter adverts. This is contrary to the wider perception that a user’s attention span will drift if content is anything longer than a few seconds. As an example, they found one of Playrix’ Homescape adverts - which tied together short scenes of the app together and showcased gameplay mechanics - drastically improved conversion.

IC of lead motion for Liftoff, Mark Such, offers a suggestion as to why longer ads were more effective at conversion. “In a long-form video ad, an advertiser can demonstrate how deep their game is by showing off more than just one game mechanic,” he said. “You show that the player can play this and that mechanic. It’s a really big advantage that long-form videos offer.”

Why is this?

Liftoff points out how a longer ad can offer more opportunities to showcase gameplay elements that intrigue players and make them curious about trying the app. If a player takes the time to watch a longer advert then they’re more likely to interact because they’ve seen enough to get hooked.

How to capitalise on this opportunity?

Liftoff suggests a number of potential ways of capitalising on the success of longer adverts. These include stitching together existing creatives to form a longer advert rather than scrapping what you already have. Or embracing the “art of storytelling” by including a simple narrative for your advert and showing off a variety of mechanics in the ad rather than just one element.

“For example, a long-form video ad for a match-3 mobile game can show multiple game mechanics. Show off collecting mechanics that strike a chord with players looking for exploration gameplay, and combine that with a robust player-versus-player mode that appeals to social players,“ they suggest.

Even though it may be hard to accept that longer equals better it’s important to remember that a mobile audience is anything but static. Shorter ads may have become king by avoiding interruption of the user experience, but longer ads are coming back into vogue by engaging more with players.

With other companies such as Bidstack seeking new means of engaging players such as intrinsic advertising, it’s no surprise that Liftoff are scrutinising newer means of attracting users with the success of longer ads being a potentially game-changing discovery.