Skippable in-stream ads play before, during, or after videos and can be skipped after five seconds; non-skippable in-stream ads run 15 seconds or less (longer on TV screens) and must be watched. Bumper ads are six-second, non-skippable spots built for reach and frequency. In-feed video ads appear in YouTube search results and the home feed and play when clicked, while Shorts ads run between vertical Shorts videos. The masthead is a premium, reserved placement at the top of the YouTube home page.
Each format suits a different job. Bumpers and non-skippables are efficient for awareness, skippable ads for storytelling and consideration, in-feed ads for driving views from people actively browsing, and Shorts for reaching mobile-first audiences with vertical creative. The best creative is built for its format — and a strong hook in the first five seconds matters for every one of them.
Example
A brand pairs a 30-second skippable ad that tells its full story with a six-second bumper that reminds the same viewers of the offer later in the week.
How Sloss Digital uses it
We match formats to the goal and build creative for each — vertical cuts for Shorts, punchy six-second versions for bumpers, and hook-first edits for skippable in-stream.