Drum Favourite TV Ad Formats
For our New TV for Drummies buyers’ guide, this week’s edition of Agency Advice asks top marketers in the space a very simple question: what ad units, formats and strategies are pushing TV forward right now?
Ad spend keeps on shifting from traditional TV to the wide, varied and acronym-heavy world of streaming and its relatives – just last week, Kantar’s Media Reactions 2025 report put a number on that shift: over the next year, 26% of marketers are planning to decrease their spend on linear TV, while 54% plan to increase spend on streaming.
Those numbers will come as no surprise to any marketer; in recent years, we’ve seen the ecosystem of ‘the new TV’ evolve into a behemoth that promises all sorts of things that marketers have formerly only dreamed of: in addressable media, there’s the promise of personalization. Through a legion of adtech, there’s the promise of a wealth of data previously only dreamed about. Through a proliferation of formats and ad units, there’s the promise of an ad landscape more fully controllable and customizable to the advertiser than ever before.
But where are the pockets of innovation that are truly pushing this dream forward? We asked top marketers working in the world of the new TV for the units, formats and approaches that are getting them out of bed in the morning.
Shelby Wilson, media supervisor, Apollo: “Two ad formats that immediately come to mind are pause ads and standard 15s or 30s. The first allows the ad to better connect with your audience through niche, contextual creative and placement, enabling you to speak directly to a particular audience and connect not only through the ad message but also through the surrounding content. Pause ads are this fun moment, nearly guaranteed to be seen when pausing the TV – essentially a display ad on the biggest screen in the house. And standard 15s and 30s should not be forgotten in this era of new tech and formats. Effective ads are a sum of all of their parts (targeting, content placement, creative, surround media). As we see more brands move into these new formats with impressive creative, there’s a rich opportunity to make these standard ads feel new and fresh with simple, smart executions.”
Harry Packshaw, head of AV, Havas Media Network UK: “First, gamified ads, which allow brands to showcase their humor and playfulness in a new way. Right now, we’re testing Samsung Ads’ GameBreaks, an interactive format that gives audiences the chance to answer fun trivia questions that are contextually relevant to the creative and the brand in advance of viewing the CTV ad. While we don’t have the results yet, the signs are hugely promising. And, second, shoppable formats. The industry has been talking about shoppable formats for years but without a lot of uptake. Now, there are signs we’re reaching a turning point. LG recently published a study stating 60% of smart TV owners would be willing to save card and shipping details on their TV for quick checkout. As smart TV adoption continues to rise, we could be on the cusp of behavioral change that makes shoppable CTV ubiquitous.”
Jessica Ringshall, chief production officer, Saatchi & Saatchi: “One of the most interesting opportunities in the UK right now is Channel 4’s reduced ad load model. Creatively, this opens a rare window: a viewer in a premium environment, with less noise competing for their attention. It’s not just fewer ads; it’s the chance to think bigger about how a single brand can occupy a moment. Imagine using the space to tell a short story in chapters across one break, or to pair a hero film with a complementary cut that deepens the message. With less clutter, even subtle creative choices – silence, humor or something visually arresting – stand out more. For brands that invest in craft, this is a canvas to deliver work that feels elevated, not squeezed between competing spots. The opportunity isn’t simply better recall; it’s permission to reimagine the ad break as a storytelling platform where one brand owns the stage.”
Max Maharajh, founder, Be A Bear: “YouTube’s latest update to sponsorship in long-form video marks a fundamental shift in brand engagement. Moving beyond static, ‘burnt-in’ integrations, creators and media owners will be able to dynamically insert sponsored content into swappable slots, unlocking unprecedented precision and flexibility. Advertisers may be able to target specific territories, schedule campaigns for defined periods or rotate messaging seasonally (suncream in summer, moisturiser in winter), transforming sponsorship into a reactive marketing channel. Equally compelling is the transparency this model promises. Detailed performance insights for each segment will enable brands to measure impact like never before, while content owners can optimize inventory with confidence. It’s still in test mode, but I’m constantly hassling YouTube to give us early access.”
Jonathan Haines, managing director, Equativ: “TV’s magic has always been its ability to evolve and so must the ads that live within it. Yet, too many campaigns still feel stuck in the 90s. Today, 79% of viewers pick up a second screen during breaks, meaning attention is harder than ever to earn. That’s why the rise of CTV ad enhancements, like Sports Ticker overlays, are so exciting. By weaving real-time scores, upcoming games and instant updates directly into the ad, brands aren’t just interrupting the viewing experience; they’re enhancing it. The result is stronger connections with fans and measurable impact: CTV creatives with a Sports Ticker drove a 14% lift in attention and a 19% boost in full ad viewership. A win for marketers and a win for fans.”
Will Glynn-Jones, founder, Send Me a Sample: “ITVX has recently launched interactive lead gen ads on its streaming platform. Viewers can interact with an ad and submit their interest, request a sample, etc, with just a single click. It’s seamless, effective, genuine innovation from what’s maybe been perceived as more of a traditional platform, echoing what has been so successful across social media. It’s a measurable way of driving consumer action via a TV buy.”
Randy Gudiel, media director, Orci: “What excites me is the launch of Men in Blazers’ Vamos platform built for Hispanic soccer fans. For one, the timing is powerful with Copa América around the corner and the World Cup arriving in 2026. Hispanic audiences already live and breathe the game, yet much of the advertising they see is repurposed content. Vamos introduces storytelling formats that feel native to the community, from bilingual podcasts to social extensions to video segments shaped by trusted voices. Having Hercules Gomez play a leading role gives the platform instant credibility, since he bridges cultures and speaks directly to the identity of this fan base. The strength of these formats is that they invite brands to be part of a story rather than just place an ad. It’s a rare mix of cultural authenticity and scale at the exact moment when soccer is about to dominate attention.”
Laura Hopson, director, United Talent Agency: “In branded entertainment, vertical dramas are hot right now. They’re short-form and designed for mobile and, after a handful of 60-second episodes, viewers hit a paywall. The format is huge in Asia, starting to gain traction in the US and coming to the UK next with major production companies buying up IP. There are tons of opportunities for brands to get involved, be that product placement or making actual branded content. The advantages are that production is cost-effective and timelines are much shorter than traditional drama. There’s even talk of AI-created scripts. And, being mobile-first, there’s an untapped audience that skews to Gen Z or younger. Currently, some of the content can be quite formulaic (romance is at the heart of most storylines), but there’s an opportunity for creative and inquisitive brands to get involved and make vertical dramas more premium.”
Clive Green, director of strategic planning, Generation Media: “One of the most exciting spaces right now is Discord. What started as a chat platform for gamers has quickly grown into a wider community hub where people gather around shared passions, from gaming to fashion, film and more. The magic of the platform is in the depth of engagement: these aren’t passive audiences, they’re active communities who contribute, create and amplify around shared passions. For brands, the opportunity lies in joining these conversations in the right way. That’s where partners like Wildfire come in. They understand how to build and nurture communities on Discord, creating experiences that feel authentic rather than intrusive. Instead of pushing messages out through traditional formats, they are curating content with server admins and seamlessly integrating with the communities they control.”
Otis D Gibson, chief creative officer, Gertrude: “The TV ad buying market has never been more exciting or more complicated. The player to watch is Netflix. It is new to the ads business, but as one of the pioneers of streaming, it brings the largest subscriber base among paid video streaming services: over 300 million subscribers. An ad opportunity I love from Netflix is the custom content integrations that allow brands to integrate themselves into the storylines of Netflix properties. There have been countless brands baked into the Stranger Things show content, helping reinvigorate nostalgic brands like Eggo and showcasing a brand’s ability to always be relevant, like Nike. More recently, the partnership between Sephora and Running Point was another standout; it wasn’t just good product placement – it advanced the storyline. If you layer on Netflix’s proprietary targeting data (viewer moods, real-time placement within the Top 10 shows), the effort to create these custom ad experiences really starts to pay off with efficiency.”
Rikke Wichmann Bruun, managing director, client service, Cheil UK: “Interactive TV isn’t new; the UK’s been promised the ‘red button revolution’ since the Sky Digital days in the late 90s. Back then, it meant voting for Pop Idol or ordering a Domino’s, which was fun (or was it?), but hardly game-changing. What’s different now is the audience: after years of swiping, tapping and scanning on TikTok and Instagram, we’re trained to interact without thinking. That muscle memory makes today’s interactive CTV formats genuinely powerful. Samsung Ads’ Interactive Canvas is a standout: it takes social-style vertical video and adds QR codes, call-to-action overlays and even store locators, all delivered through smart TV inventory. Brands can get shoppable CTV campaigns live quickly using existing social assets – no big TV shoot needed. Early campaigns are reporting interaction rates up to three times higher than standard CTV spots, proving that interactive TV has finally grown up and is driving real, measurable action.”
Michael Isaacs-Olaye, managing director UK, Happydemics: “Connected TV is one of the most powerful and exciting ad opportunities right now. Its ability to blend big-screen storytelling with interactivity is something that traditional formats can’t replicate. A promising aspect is how shoppable elements like QR codes, clickable overlays and product carousels turn those lean-back moments into ‘Wait, I need to check this out’ moments. The proof is in the pudding as we’re seeing this format both be fun and drive results, with our brand lift data showing that QR codes on CTV ads increase purchase intent by three points more than CTV ads without a QR code. It’s proof that viewers are happy to engage when the experience feels seamless. Beyond just performance, CTV is pulling double-duty on brand building, ranking as the clearest ad format around and making it a strong player across categories from FMCG to lifestyle.”
Ross Jenkins, chief executive officer, Mediahub: “Last week, I was lucky to spend time with ITV and Channel 4, two broadcasters innovating at the edge of TV. What stood out was the combination of addressability and creativity, along with shoppable formats that collapse the funnel. BVOD pause ads and overlays have become real canvases for creativity and accessible entry points for smaller brands. Both broadcasters are also rolling out gen AI creative services, which lower the bar further. This means context-reactive micro-stories, time, weather, live moments (sequenced across spots, with programmatic addressability layered in): broadcast scale meets digital precision. In commerce, shoppable CTV has arrived. This means QR-to-checkout formats on Amazon and YouTube TV, which move viewers from inspiration to basket in a single sitting, with sales data proving the impact. And watch this space for AI-driven virtual product placement, which turns the content itself into dynamic inventory.”
Ben Essen, global chief strategy officer, Iris: “What does cross-platform content actually mean? It means content designed for specific use cases, not just by format but by how people consume it. Take the ‘sound-off’ use case (80% of social viewing happens without audio): we’re creating visual ideas that don’t rely on speech or music. This isn’t new: pre-iPhone, Iris made the first mobile TV show, Pocket TV, for Sony, complete with a segment called ‘Face Off’ where hosts went cheek-to-cheek to fit tiny screens. The ‘just for mobile’ trend lives on in China’s ‘Duanju’ microdramas, condensing epic plots into 90 seconds, showing how much can fit into shortform. It’s about spotting insights into how content is consumed in the moment. Content works best when it’s tailored to context.”
Megan Boveri, chief media officer, Pinnacle Advertising: “Personalization has long been the holy grail of advertising, with proven impact on engagement, recall and conversion. While it has long been possible in display, video has lagged due to the heavy production lift required to scale creative. That’s now changing with gen AI. We’re leaning into this shift by partnering with creative automation platform Abyssale. Together, we’re merging technology and creativity by using templated video, automation, data feeds and API integrations to generate countless variations from a single master asset. For example, an automotive brand could serve a convertible spot to a young male in Miami and a three-row SUV to a mom in Chicago – different stories leveraging the same production foundation. This approach amplifies relevance and resonance without ballooning production costs, letting us put the right creative in front of the right audience at the right time.”
Sophie Bell, managing director, Toast: “Am I allowed to talk about AI? This probably isn’t the time to talk about our newly launched AI platform StoryX (that helps dig much deeper to find new, untold stories), but I do think innovations that augment the age-old art of storytelling are exciting. Spatial computing is now in the mainstream; Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest 3 enable narrative storytelling where viewers become participants and can influence plots. As is AR storytelling that has the potential to immerse users in a time or place – this has tremendous potential for historical content, for instance. The most powerful creative still has a good story at its heart, so anything that supports that should be explored. To sound a note of caution, though, no exploration of the use of AI should be done without due consideration of the ethical debate.”
