3/6/2024
June 3, 2024
Instagram might soon introduce unskippable ads, similar to YouTube’s format, forcing users to watch ads before continuing to scroll. Currently in testing, this change would enhance advertiser satisfaction at the expense of user experience.
Instagram users might soon face a new advertising format similar to YouTube's unskippable ads, where they must watch an ad for a few seconds before continuing to scroll through their feed. This potential change is more likely to please brands than the users of the platform. Let's dive into the details of this newly spotted feature.
The new ad format was shared on Threads by photographer Dan Levy. Under the spotted advertisement, there’s a timer accompanied by the “Ad break” label. Clicking on the information icon reveals the message: “Ad breaks is a new way to watch ads on Instagram. Sometimes, you may need to watch an ad before you can continue browsing.”
This ad format is reminiscent of YouTube’s model, which forces users to watch a few seconds of an ad before accessing their video. Over time, this model has driven users to adopt ad blockers, a trend YouTube has been actively combating for several months.
Instagram users are already heavily exposed to ads, whether they are scrolling through their feed or watching Stories. This new unskippable ad format would be an additional burden for Instagram enthusiasts, further detracting from their overall experience. In the end, the only ones likely to be pleased with this development are advertisers, who will have a guarantee that their ads will be seen.
For now, the format appears to be in the testing phase, with no official announcement from Meta yet.
