If vertical video is going to be the next big advertising formula, The Washington Post wants to get out in front of it. The Post hopes to help its advertisers create the new style of ad, made popular by Snapchat, and let clients run their custom videos anywhere that builds vertically, on desktop or mobile.
The Post’s video ad service, called FlexPlay, had its first campaign with Lincoln hit the website last month. Brands hand over their creative assets, and the Post’s ad tech team converts them into different formats, ready to run on desktop, mobile Web and in app.
Lincoln wanted to run vertical video that ran in the news stream on Washington Post’s mobile site, and in the vertical half-page position on desktop. The Washington Post’s tech and design team do the editing and can convert videos into vertical, 360 degree, and in the future virtual reality.