Introduction
In today’s video marketing world, the trending YouTube ad formats are proving to be game-changers for new-age ad campaigns. YouTube ads are now the go-to way to reach a wider audience, boost brand awareness, and drive conversions.
In-stream, Bumper, and Shorts – these three are the best YouTube ads 2025 formats that are making the news these days. Why? They can effectively bridge the audience with brands – and the reason? High engagement. These formats can hold the user’s attention and prompt conversions.
In this blog, we will investigate 3 popular types of YouTube ads in detail, explain how to choose one, and discuss how AI can help with this.
1. Market Overview:
The number of active YouTube users will be 2.49 billion in 2025. This staggering figure proves YouTube’s domination as a platform for worldwide ad campaigning.
Moreover, given the upward trend in video consumption on connected TVs, advertisers are doubling down on this platform to reach even larger and more diverse communities. Such statistics establish YouTube as one of the most crucial tools in digital marketing.
2. Evolving Trends:
In the current scenario, AI is controlling ad targeting and placement. With AI in place, ads are automatically displayed in the right place and at the right time based on the audience’s interests, past search records, and device use.
Besides, by deciphering engagement metrics such as CPV (cost per view), view rate, and CTR (click-through rate), ad-campaigning strategies are constantly being upscaled. This data-centric decision-making process is helping advertisers design more effective campaigns, which is crucial to the evolution of YouTube ads.
Overview of the Three Key YouTube Advertising Formats in 2025
There are a few top ad formats to boost video reach in 2025. Those are:
1. In-Stream Ads (Skippable/Non-skippable):
In-stream ads appear before, after, or in the middle of a YouTube video. They come in two avatars—one that you can skip and the other that you can’t. Guess what? You need a strong hook in the first few seconds of a skippable ad to hold viewers’ interest, whereas in non-skippable ads, viewers are more likely to watch until the very end.
This format is ideal for telling your brand’s long story, especially when you need to convey the details of your product or service to your viewers.
2. Bumper Ads:
Bumper ads are non-skippable, very short ads lasting no more than 6 seconds. These ultra-short ads deliver influential messages so quickly that high frequency can significantly boost brand awareness.
This format is a low-budget way to create an impression of your brand among the audience.
3. Shorts Ads:
Short ads are part of the YouTube Shorts format that fit into mobile-based vertical video content. These ads provide attractive, fast, and entertaining messages for mobile-loving youths. Short ads often use trending music, fast-cutting scenes, and lively visuals popular with Gen Z.
1. In-Stream Ads: The Power of Storytelling
a. Uniqueness:
In-stream opens up opportunities to tell long, detailed, and insightful stories. Through this format, you can beautifully articulate the key features, USP, and advantages of your product or service. Its usefulness across desktops, mobile devices, and connected TVs makes it an even more powerful ad format, as your message can reach multiple platforms simultaneously.
b. Optimisation Strategies:
- You need a strong hook in the first 5 seconds:
The first few seconds are all you get in the skippable In-Stream ads to hold your audience. An impressive start can increase the likelihood that your viewers will watch the full ad. - Include Interactive Elements:
The ad-audience connection gets a boost from interactive elements like overlays, end screens, and call-to-action (CTA), driving more conversions. - Data-Driven Targeting and Regular A/B Testing:
Measure your ad campaign results with AI and analytics tools, and regularly test various creative and targeting options to achieve maximum ad effectiveness.
c. Example Use-Case:
If a course creator creates a 30-second In-Stream ad, they can highlight the key benefits, teaching style, and success stories of the course. The ad may attract the audience and encourage them to join the course, boosting conversions.
2. Bumper Ads: The Impact of Brief, Memorable Messaging
c. Shorts Ads: Engaging the Mobile-First Generation
a. Uniqueness:
Short ads are perfect for mobile-first audiences because they are in a vertical format and deliver fast-paced video content. These ads naturally blend with organic short videos and therefore do not cause an extra jolt to the normal viewing experience, making the ad inclusion very seamless.
b. Optimisation Strategies:
- Capture Instant Attention:
Catch viewers’ attention within the first few seconds with intense visuals and trending music. - Optimise your ads for vertical video format:
Make sure your creative content is 100% optimised for mobile screens so that it looks clear and captivating in a vertical format. - Tailor your message for the youths:
Create your message for the young, mobile-first audience so it connects with them easily and keeps them engaged.
c. Example Use-Case:
An Online Education startup can create a vertical shorts ad highlighting course snippets and quick teaching methods. This ad will perfectly resonate with Gen Z and motivate them to learn, increasing the startup’s brand value and conversion rate.
Choosing the Right Ad Format for Your Brand
a. Decision Factors:
You have to consider a few key factors to select the right format for your ad campaign.
- Campaign Objectives:
If your goal is to grab viewers’ attention with detailed storytelling, go for In-Stream ads. On the other hand, if you wish to increase your brand recall with a low budget at high frequency, choose Bumper. Short ads are ideal for mobile-based rapid engagement. - Target Audience:
Make decisions based on your target audience’s demographics and the devices they use. For example, if your primary target audience is mobile users, short ads or In-stream ads optimised for mobile devices can be more effective. In contrast, desktop users might need a distinct strategy. - Budget and Creative Resources:
Consider the ad campaign budget and quality of your creative production. In-stream might require a long and detailed video, which is comparatively more expensive. However, bumper and shorts ads can be created at a lower price and in a shorter timeframe, which is suitable for startups and smaller businesses.
b. Real-World Examples:
Here are a few use cases to help businesses choose the best format for their ad campaigns.
- If a course creator wants to attract students with detailed data and storytelling, they should select in-stream ads.
- Conversely, for a tech startup looking to build fast brand recall on a low budget, a 6-second bumper ad is its best bet.
- And if any startup wants to target mobile-using youths, it can reach them through a brisk vertical short ad.
