Ten seconds for a quick reminder or thirty for the whole story? The length of your spot helps decide how your message lands. With onescreen you have the choice between 10, 15, 20 and 30 seconds. Which one is right depends on your goal.
Length barely costs you viewers
In classic online video the rule is often: the longer the spot, the sooner people click away. On the big screen in streaming it's different, because your advertising runs non-skippable there and people watch in a relaxed way. The completion rate, that is the share of viewers who watch the spot to the end, therefore stays high across all lengths.
An analysis by Innovid shows this clearly: on connected TV, 30-second spots reached a completion rate of around 96 percent, 15-second spots around 94 percent and spots of ten seconds or less around 90 percent. So the difference is small. Unlike in a skippable environment, you barely lose viewers with a longer spot, more on this in the article on skippable ads. That means for you: the length follows your message, not the fear that the spot gets cut off.
Find the right length for your spot!
Book a demoWhat length really affects
What matters is what fits into the time and what you want to achieve. There is a clear relationship here. Shorter spots are especially efficient at quickly generating attention and recognition. Longer spots have more room for story, emotion and explanation.
The research confirms this. According to the Journal of Advertising Research, a 15-second spot reaches about 75 to 80 percent of the memory effect of a 30-second spot, so a lot of impact at half the length. At the same time, an analysis by QuickFrame by MNTN showed that 30-second spots drove around 24 percent more conversions than 15-second spots, because they build a deeper connection. So short delivers awareness efficiently, long builds brand and drives action. Beyond a certain length, however, diminishing returns set in, the added value keeps getting smaller.
Which length when
From this comes a simple orientation for the four lengths:
10 seconds suit a single, clear message and a quick reminder, for example when your brand is already known or you want to be present at high frequency. Little room, but maximally to the point.
15 seconds are the all-rounder. They offer enough room for brand, message and a call to action and capture a large part of the impact of longer spots at efficient cost. For most campaigns the right choice.
20 seconds give you a bit more air to show a product, explain an offer or tell a small story, without reaching straight for the full spot.
30 seconds are the stage for storytelling, emotion and explanation. They pay off when your brand is new or needs explaining, when you want to tell a story or lean more into driving action.
How onescreen solves this
With onescreen you choose the length to fit your goal, 10, 15, 20 or 30 seconds. Because your advertising runs non-skippable on the big screen, you get full attention even with a 30-second spot, without losing viewers. You don't have a finished spot yet? Then onescreen supports you in creating it. How a strong creative is built is shown in the article on creatives in streaming advertising, and what a spot costs is set out in the article What does a spot cost.
Conclusion
There is no single right length, only the right one for your goal. Short spots deliver awareness efficiently, long ones build brand and drive action. On the big screen you don't have to worry about cut-off spots, because your advertising runs non-skippable. So you choose the length by what you want to say, from ten seconds to the point to thirty seconds with the whole story.
Want to find the right spot length for your campaign? Book a demo and we'll show you the options in 30 minutes. Or get started in the Ad Manager.