By David Garden, Senior Fast Track Executive
Is your ad going to air on TV? Will it run on VOD? Are you unsure?
Video on demand (VOD) advertising is a great way to target your chosen audience with relevant content as they tune in to watch your content on a trusted platform. VOD ads are treated slightly differently from linear ads when it comes to clearance, here’s how.
When you create a new submission on CopyCentral, you’ll be asked whether your submission is for Linear/VOD or VOD only.
If you know that your media plan includes TV, then you require Linear/VOD approval. We review linear ads against the BCAP Code. This means that the advertiser will need to show us evidence for any claims in the advert and we’ll only approve when we are satisfied that the claims are in line with the code.
If you’re only running on VOD channels then we’ll assess your ad against the CAP Code. For any claims in VOD only ads, we’ll ask the advertiser to sign our Advertiser’s Assurance form which testifies that they hold the relevant substantiation. We don’t need to actually see the substantiation.
If you’re at all unsure which approval you require, it’s a good idea to contact the broadcasters who will be carrying your ads. They will have the same policy for linear ads but their requirements may differ for VOD.
If you have plans to air on VOD but think that you might air on linear at some stage, it’s preferable to seek linear approval from the get-go. Often agencies will get in touch to ask if linear approval can be added to their VOD approved ad. Sometimes this is as easy as switching the submission type and reapproving. However, if there are any claims in the ad, it won’t be so straightforward.
Ultimately, linear approval requires more time for assessment of evidence so you don’t want to leave it until the last moment as that will extend the overall time it takes to get your ad cleared.
VOD Vs linear clearance round-up
- If you think that you might air on linear at some stage, it’s preferable to seek linear approval from the get-go
- If you’re unsure what approval you need, contact the broadcasters who are carrying your ad – they all have the same policy for linear but their requirements might differ for VOD
- Linear is assessed by us against the BCAP Code and VOD is assessed against the CAP Code
If you have any questions about VOD clearance or anything else, contact us.
