AOL’s New 360° and Live Video Studio Is a ‘Physical Embodiment of Native Advertising’
By Lauren Stacy • January 18, 2017
AOL has opened Build, a street-facing studio and content creation hub in lower Manhattan that will allow the company to engage live audiences, those passing by the building, and those viewing the concerts and events online. While content is filmed live, it will be also repurposed for platforms such as Twitter, YouTube and Facebook where advertisers will have the opportunity to provide branded content in a format called “Player Up.” Rather than serving pre-roll ads, the new format shows 3- to 7-second bumper ads that move to the bottom on the screen during the streamed performances. Once a user pauses the content though, the brands image reappears on the screen until they resume streaming.