Hajra Naz
Imagine that an advertisement shows immediately after a much-anticipated video from your favorite YouTuber, perhaps the moment a well-known pair finally gets engaged. This is a component of the new “Peak Points” ad structure on YouTube.
The company introduced this new format during its Upfront presentation on Wednesday in New York.
Peak Points uses Google’s Gemini AI to analyze YouTube videos and identify moments representing peak viewer interest, the points in a video where people are most emotionally involved or highly engaged. Ads are placed right after those moments to take advantage of the viewer’s heightened attention.
By displaying advertisements when viewers are most interested, this tactic is intended to help advertisers. Ads are positioned about emotionally charged material using a technique akin to emotion-based targeting. The premise is that people are more likely to notice and recall the advertisement while they are experiencing their highest level of emotion.
Of course, not everyone may be on board with this change. Viewers who are deeply invested in a video’s emotional arc might find these post-peak ad interruptions frustrating, especially when all they want is to keep watching without a break.
In other advertising updates, YouTube also announced a new shoppable product feed. This format lets users explore and purchase items directly during an ad, making the experience more interactive and potentially less disruptive.
