A Look at Quibi's Ad Blitz in the Lead-Up to Launch
Streaming service ads continue to surge on television, with a media value* of $40.8 million from March 30-April 5, according to iSpot.tv. And one of the brands behind that push is mobile platform Quibi, which just went live on Monday.
Quibi's spent over $15 million on TV ads since the week of March 9, and $9.7 million starting the week of March 23. Online ads have been everywhere -- from banners to social platforms -- if you've spent even a passing few minutes online lately, you've likely noticed a purple 'Q' here or there.
Since March 23, Quibi is just outside the top 30 ad spenders (32nd) on TV, while “Coming to a Phone Near You” was 23rd among all brand spots, at $6.5 million in the timeframe. Quibi has been putting a good deal of spend behind big network -- FOX, ABC, CBS, NBC -- programming, with 57.6% going toward those four channels (during this time period). However, AMC's The Walking Dead had the highest spend of any show, at $1.3 million.
Quibi’s ads have been focused heavily on general awareness around what it is -- a short-form video app -- and the breadth of talent that’s creating shows for the mobile platform. The aforementioned "Coming to a Phone Near You" was the most-seen creative by far, with over 324 million impressions since March 24. Other spots focused in on stars of certain Quibi shows, including Will Forte, Kaitlin Olson, Chrissy Teigen, Liam, Hemsworth, Sophie Turner and more.
According to iSpot, that primary ad is starting to experience some creative wear (19% more interruptions than the industry average, per the company's Attention Index), but there's more running room for other Quibi spots that are getting significantly fewer interruptions.
As the shows start to take hold and Quibi also figures out what's a hit and isn't, you'll likely see creative start to adjust accordingly. We've already seen a pivot in how the platform is marketed from an "on-the-go" option to one that provides a short break (as one may need in these times, when the lines between work, childcare and supposed free time are beyond blurry). So if nothing else, we've at least seen that the platform is nimble in how it can be seen and utilized -- something that could benefit it as viewing preferences continue to shift quickly in the current environment.
*note: media value is utilized instead of ad spend, to account for streaming advertising that appears on owned networks (Disney+ ads on ABC/ESPN) which is not paid for in the traditional sense. Media value measures how much advertising is worth, vs. how much the ad placement actual costs.
