YouTube will insert ads in the most emotional moments of the video – they will be determined by AI

Imagine watching a touching video — a mountain top confession, a hero’s farewell, or a victory after a long journey. And just as you’re about to be overwhelmed by emotion and waiting for the denouement, the screen suddenly changes and an ad appears. Not just anytime, but specifically at that moment. This is the format that YouTube is working on — it’s called Peak Points (what’s not to like about a story with «Black mirror»?).

Google announced the new advertising format during the Upfront presentation in New York. Its main idea is to insert ads into videos not randomly, but after the most emotionally charged moments when the viewer is most vulnerable, according to TechCrunch. The presentation video demonstrates how this works in practice. We were shown a marriage proposal at a ski resort, and right after that, a recommended commercial.

Peak Points is powered by Gemini’s artificial intelligence to analyze YouTube videos and identify the moments it believes have the highest viewer engagement or are the most emotionally impactful – the most «touching» viewers. And then —bam! — the ad, when your eyes are still wet or you are maximally involved in the story. The idea is to get the ad right to the heart, not just in the pause between phrases.

It used to be simpler. Back in the TV days, commercials were scheduled: they didn’t interrupt dialogues, didn’t break into the climax, and directors even adjusted the plot so that the commercial was appropriate. Sometimes they even gave viewers a chance to digest what they had seen.

Now everything is different. Streaming services like YouTube don’t have fixed blocks. So, to make advertising more effective, algorithms take into account your emotional state. This emotional targeting — is not new in marketing, but now it is reaching a new level. Peak Points is essentially an evolution of emotional targeting, where advertising content is provided based on your emotions at that moment, not your actual needs or demographic buying habits.

Point Peaks aims to benefit advertisers by using tactics to capture users’ attention when they are most interested in content. It is believed that when viewers experience a heightened emotional state, it leads to better ad recall. However, viewers may find these interruptions unpleasant, especially when they are deeply engaged in the emotional line of the video and want the ad to end quickly so they can continue watching. Therefore, it remains to be seen whether advertisers will benefit or harm from Peak Points.

So far, Peak Points has not been implemented on a large scale. Perhaps YouTube will still be careful not to spoil the viewing experience. Or maybe we’re approaching an era where emotions are becoming a commodity and advertising is a part of every strong scene.

Speaking of commodities. During the presentation, YouTube showed another new format — interactive ads with a product catalog. You can scroll through the assortment and buy while the ad is still running. If you combine this feature with Peak Points — you have a potential explosion: you are upset, touched, or happy — and immediately receive a tempting offer to buy something that «supports» your emotional state.

YouTube’s new advertising approach is not just a technical innovation. It is the platform’s intervention in the viewer’s emotional state and its use in commercial purposes. On the one hand, it means more accurate advertising. On the other hand, this is another area of AI interference in our lives.

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Source: androidpolice