Forget about influencers and endless negotiations! Today we’re going to talk about how to get massive reach for pennies, using banner ads in Shorts. While some chase micro-dramas and spend millions, digital arbitrageurs have long mastered the world of YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and Reels, where CPM for a banner ad can be cheaper than 50 rubles. This is not theory, this is real math.
While studios like Issa Rae’s Hoorae attract brands like Poppi and e.l.f. cosmetics to sponsor micro-dramas, promising potential “hits,” we see much more transparent statistics and predictable results in programmatic banner placement. TikTok, by the way, also supports Hoorae, but while they are making “content,” we are buying reach.
Why Shorts, TikTok, and Reels are a goldmine for banners?
Low CPM and Massive Reach
- Low CPM: The cost per thousand impressions can be record low. This allows testing hypotheses for 1000 rubles and getting huge amounts of data.
- Massive reach: Billions watch short videos. Your banner can appear on hundreds of videos, providing an unskippable banner and native format.
Alternative to Influencers and Quick Launch
- Alternative to influencers: No need to pay bloggers. You control the budget and creatives, without depending on the star’s “creative vision.” This is an ideal solution for promoting mobile applications, infobusiness, or crypto projects.
- Quick launch: Auto-placement on hundreds of videos allows you to launch a campaign in hours, not weeks.
Some brands, like Poppi, try to become an integral part of the show in micro-dramas, but this is just one strategy. We are talking about how to buy reach without creating a video, using overlay ads.
“While others are making movies, we are getting millions of banner impressions for pennies. It’s just different math,” said one of our media buying experts.
Mobile games: how they make money and what does it mean for us?
Have you ever wondered why there are so many ads in your favorite mobile game? Recent studies using AI decompilation of gaming applications show exactly how developers make money from advertising.
Take, for example, Block Blast! – a Tetris-like game that consistently ranks among the top 5 most downloaded mobile games. It earned $127 million from advertising by August this year, which is $46 million more than Candy Crush.
The “high value ad harvest” mechanic allows identifying players prone to watching ads. They are helped to improve their records, and then the “death algorithm” is launched, where the next round cannot be won. At this point, the app offers watching an ad for a “resurrection”.
Another game, Dicero, sends five separate conversion signals to its trackers with each player purchase, earning it approximately $100,000 in ad revenue per day. This data shows how finely tuned advertising algorithms are in mobile apps and highlights the potential for placing our banners on similar platforms.
Sports Leagues and Gambling: Ethical Dilemmas and Advertising Budgets
The growing connection between professional sports leagues, sports media, and gambling companies raises questions. Viewers see gambling ads or their logos every 13 seconds during matches.
Nicole Noren, a former ESPN producer who left the channel in 2024 after 24 years, claims that gambling company marketing influences news coverage. She was outraged by ESPN’s partnership with DraftKings, as gambling had ruined the lives of several of her family members, including her brother.
ESPN, which previously strictly opposed promoting gambling, changed its stance after a 2018 Supreme Court decision loosened betting restrictions. By 2023, ESPN launched its own betting app, which was the last straw for Noren. According to her, after the start of cooperation with bookmakers, the line between business and editorial became “more permeable,” making it difficult to cover some stories related to stakeholders.
A similar story happened in 2024 when a Publicis employee resigned after the holding paid $350 million for opioid marketing for Purdue Pharma. It is clear that promises of large advertising budgets often outweigh the risks of promoting potentially harmful products.
Industry News: Acquisitions, Layoffs, and New Opportunities
- Roku’s acquisition by Fox for $22 billion has been approved by shareholders and is expected to close in the first half of 2027.
- Netflix is cutting about 1,000 employees, or 6% of its staff.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is banner advertising in short videos?
These are ad banners that appear over short videos on platforms like YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and Instagram Reels. They allow brands to achieve mass reach without creating video content.
Can CPM be cheaper than 50 rubles?
Yes, with proper campaign setup and optimization, the cost per thousand impressions (CPM) in short videos can be significantly lower than 50 rubles, especially on new and less competitive platforms.
How to place banner ads in YouTube Shorts?
Banner advertising in YouTube Shorts is done through programmatic advertising platforms, which allow banners to be automatically placed on hundreds of relevant videos.
Do I need to shoot a video for this type of advertising?
No, one of the key advantages is the ability to buy reach without creating a video. You only create a banner ad.
How is banner advertising better than influencer integrations?
Banner advertising offers transparent statistics, full control over budget and creatives, and the ability to test hypotheses for 1000 rubles, which is often unavailable when working with influencers.
Conclusion
The world of digital advertising is constantly changing, but one thing remains constant: mass reach for pennies is a reality. While others are looking for “micro-dramas” and spending millions on questionable integrations, we suggest you pay attention to banner advertising in short videos. This is an effective way to get a low CPM, test your hypotheses, and achieve impressive results. Ready to order banner advertising and take your project to the next level? Contact us to find out how we can help you achieve your goals!
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