My 8-year-old self never would have believed I’d be getting paid to stay up late watching “Hannah Montana” as an adult with a job.
And yet, here we are.
Disney+ has ads now, so I signed up to see what the ad experience is like. I didn’t expect to rediscover a childhood fave, but hey, it was recommended to me … although that was probably because I accidentally set my content ratings to age 7 and up.
Break time
Like Netflix AVOD, ads on Disney+ are new, so they’re still pretty basic, but, also similar to Netflix, Disney has an impressive roster of large brand advertisers: Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, Toyota, Fidelity, TurboTax, DoorDash, Hilton, Verizon and Cocoa Pebbles.
Ads on Disney+ are limited to 15- or 30-second pre-roll and mid-roll spots, and the targeting felt a little off to me. I saw repeat ads from Capital One and a university in Southern New Hampshire, as well as ads for both Huggies and Pampers in back-to-back episodes of “The Simpsons.”
While that might count as competitive separation, the binge-friendly nature of AVOD viewing made the ads feel closer in proximity than they might in a linear environment. No one I know would watch only one episode of “The Simpsons” in a single viewing session.
That’s like eating only one Oreo.
Age appropriate
For now, Disney+ advertisers can only target their audiences based on age, but Disney says better ad targeting is next on its to-do list, with plans to add Disney data into its graph and make targeting on par with Hulu by the summer.
Disney+ has nine different content ratings, and subscribers can choose to see R-rated and mature titles in their feeds, including Marvel movies like “Daredevil” and “The Defenders.”
But whether I was watching “Hannah Montana” or the National Geographic show “Airport Security” about cocaine smuggling, the ad experience was pretty much the same.
The ad load did vary between titles, however. A 25-minute episode of “The Simpsons” included just under three minutes of ads, which was the same as for a 45-minute episode about an airport drug bust.
Know your audience
When Disney data starts to power the ad targeting solution, the content recommendations will probably improve.
Even after watching an entire season of “Airport Security,” my feed was still full of recommendations for “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse,” “High School Musical” and “Jessie.”
And once Disney+ data makes it into Disney’s ad server, ad personalization should improve, too.
But the upfronts are only a few months away. Will Disney’s souped-up targeting meet advertiser expectations in time?
Let me know what you think. Hit me up at [email protected].
