Snapchat is joining the 6s ad fray with the release of a new unskippable ad.

Flashback #1: With Snapchat’s new 5-minute shows, it’s starting to look a lot like a TV network

Each show will contain three 10-second ads.

How does this ad load compare to TV?
1) Snapchat — 3 minutes of content + 30 seconds of ads → 14% of time w/ ads

2) Television — 44 minutes of content + 16 minutes of ads → 26% of time w/ ads

Every hour of video viewing on Snapchat will deliver less than 9 minutes of ads or 53% of the ad load of television.

How popular are 6s ads? A recent survey of mobile marketers found that 49% listed 6s ads in their top 3 ad formats.

Flashback #2: The ad industry feels like Silicon Valley is killing creativity

A few challenges w/ short ads:
1) Connecting w/ consumers — Creative executives worry that 6s is not enough time to connect with customers in a similar way to the 30s allotted in most TV spots.

2) Pricing for creative — Fixed costs for creating both formats is very similar. Will brands expect to pay less?

3) Pricing for ad spots — Do these spots cost 1/5 less to run? For example, if a 30s spot has a CPM of $25 does the 5s cost $5?

A good example of a 6s ad recently tested by Acura: