--- title: Six-Second Video Ads Positioned For Success description: Six-second ads are still a relatively new phenomenon, but they are quickly becoming one of the more premium ad formats, securing space during prime-time TV and on the most premium programming. image: https://www.tvisioninsights.com/hubfs/People%20Watching%20TV.png --- [![TVision Logo](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/hs-fs/hubfs/TVision%20Brand%20Guidelines/TVision_logo_color_rgb_whiteText.png?width=1804&height=202&name=TVision_logo_color_rgb_whiteText.png "TVision Logo")](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/) News # Six-Second Video Ads Positioned For Success June 11   |   News By Alex Weprin Originally published in [MediaPost](https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/320556/six-second-video-ads-positioned-for-success.html) Six-second ads are still a relatively new phenomenon, but they are quickly becoming one of the more premium ad formats, securing space during prime-time TV and on the most premium programming. At the “AUDIENCExSCIENCE” conference on Wednesday, Paul Donato, the executive vice president and CRO of the Advertising Research Foundation, will present the results of a study on six-second ads. Among the findings? Six-second ads “capture attention for a higher proportion of the ad seconds.” “Six-second ads positioned in ‘premium’ content were indeed primed for success,” Donato tells *Digital News Daily*. “They were placed to do well, either on premium programming, as standalone units, or they tended to most often have really good pod position,” Donato says. “The advertisers and networks and agencies were trying something new, but used it in such a way where it was most likely to be successful, and it was successful.” The research was conducted in-home between November 2017 and the end of April, in partnership with TVision Insights and its panel of about 2,000 households. “We have gone back and analyzed virtually every six-second ad that has occurred since November,” Donato says. “I believe we have over 3,000 short-form ads, and the longer-form ads that may have surrounded them or were in the same program. It is really comprehensive in terms of the measures.” The ARF research found that light TV viewers pay more attention to short-form ads than other types of viewers, and that there is a “modest halo effect” for long-form ads that run alongside short-form ads. Still, the research also raises new questions. It still isn’t clear what impact the ad format has on brand recall and messaging, and the ROI needs to be measured. In addition, as the format continues to expand to new programming, will the efficacy that has been measured so far continue? “This is the beginning of best-in-class research, and I think it will encourage more advertisers to gradually take advantage of this format, as we learn more about creative ties to long form, and other approaches that will optimize short form,” Donato says. [![TV and CTV Attention Report](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3023204/5eeec174-ffb8-4a4a-81d3-9e747704521a.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3023204/5eeec174-ffb8-4a4a-81d3-9e747704521a) ![LinkedIn](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/hubfs/Assets%202018%20-%20S2/illustrations-icons/linkedin-icon.png) ![Twitter](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/hubfs/Assets%202018%20-%20S2/illustrations-icons/twitter-icon.png) ![Facebook](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/hubfs/Assets%202018%20-%20S2/illustrations-icons/fb-icon.png) ## More resources from TVision [blog](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/resources/tag/blog) [TVision's New TV Attention and Creative Impact Report](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/resources/tvisions-new-tv-attention-and-creative-impact-report) Today TVision, the company measuring every second of TV and CTV viewer engagement, released the H2 2025 State of Streaming Report. The semi-annual State of Streaming Report is the industry's best resource for insight into attention and engagement with streaming apps, content and ads. [Read More](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/resources/tvisions-new-tv-attention-and-creative-impact-report) [blog](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/resources/tag/blog) [TVision Insights Enters Definitive Agreement to Be Acquired by Viant Technology](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/resources/tvision-insights-enters-definitive-agreement-to-be-acquired-by-viant-technology) Today TVision, the company measuring every second of TV and CTV viewer engagement, announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Viant Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: DSP), a leader in CTV and AI-powered programmatic advertising, in a transaction valued at $40 million. The deal, expected to close in Q2 2026, brings TVision's second-by-second, person-level attention data, co-viewership signals, and in-room presence measurement directly into Viant's buying platform. [Read More](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/resources/tvision-insights-enters-definitive-agreement-to-be-acquired-by-viant-technology) [blog](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/resources/tag/blog) [TVision's New State of Streaming Report Reveals How Context, Pod Position and More Impact Viewer Engagement](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/resources/tvisions-new-state-of-streaming-report-h2-2025) Today TVision, the company measuring every second of TV and CTV viewer engagement, released the H2 2025 State of Streaming Report. The semi-annual State of Streaming Report is the industry's best resource for insight into attention and engagement with streaming apps, content and ads. [Read More](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/resources/tvisions-new-state-of-streaming-report-h2-2025) [![The TV and CTV Attention Report](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3023204/6b181378-6650-4289-8bad-aa2394689443.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3023204/6b181378-6650-4289-8bad-aa2394689443) ### Find Your Brand's TV Performance Or try these: [Geico](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/search-results?brand=Geico), [Amazon](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/search-results?brand=Amazon), [Progressive](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/search-results?brand=Progressive), [State Farm](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/search-results?brand=State%20Farm), [T-Mobile](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/search-results?brand=T-Mobile) ## Get in Touch Need more info, have a question or want a demo? Tell us a little bit more and we'll respond shortly. ## Stay Up to Date The TV landscape is changing quickly. Let us help keep you in the know. - [![](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/hubfs/2022%20Assets%20TMK/ico_social_in.png)](https://www.linkedin.com/company/TVision-Insights) - [![](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/hubfs/2022%20Assets%20TMK/ico_social_tw.png)](https://twitter.com/TVisionInsights) - [![](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/hubfs/2022%20Assets%20TMK/ico_social_fb.png)](https://www.facebook.com/TVisionInsights) © 2026 TVision Insights. All Rights Reserved. [Privacy Policy](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/tvision-privacy-policy-overview) | [TVision Japan](https://tvisioninsights.co.jp/)