Are You a Human Launches PlayThru for Video Ad Unit

Interactive Pre-Roll Add-On Lets Users Get to Their Content Faster by Skipping Ad While Still Engaging With Advertiser’s Brand; Boosts Brand Favorability by 33%

Detroit , MI(18 Feb 2014)

 Are You a Human, a Detroit startup that specializes in creating alternative ways for brands to interact with users instead of annoying them, today announced that it has launched PlayThru for Video. PlayThru for Video is an add-on to existing pre-roll campaigns that grabs the attention of users - who normally tune out - by rewarding them for engaging with the brand. By interacting with the advertiser in a fun way—for example, by dragging a “Sold” sign to a home in an ad for Quicken Loans—users can conclude the ad and get straight to the video they originally wanted to watch.

When users are able to access their desired content faster, they’re happier, and happier users translates into better results for advertisers. User testing shows that consumers who engage with PlayThru for Video remember the brand just as much as those who watch the full ad, but feel 33% more favorably about the brand.

“Pre-roll videos are effective when they’re watched, but we all know that the majority of users tune out or do something else until the ad finishes,” says Reid Tatoris, Are You a Human co-founder. “PlayThru for Video enables advertisers to not only deliver their message to real people, but also to get those people actively engaged. And since PlayThru allows people to get to their desired content faster, users are happy with the brand rather than annoyed.”

PlayThru for Video also enables advertisers to avoid invalid traffic, using Are You a Human’s verification technology to eliminate fraud, bots, and accidental clicks. Fake display ad impressions often driven by bots are estimated to account for over half of all online traffic, according to Incapsula, wasting anywhere from  $3.6 to $4.5 billion annually in the U.S. alone. With PlayThru, advertisers are only charged when a real human has interacted with their brand.

For PlayThru for Video’s launch, Are You a Human has partnered with PopSugar, TubeMogul, and Complex Media.

“Our advertising partners understand our audience’s desire to skip pre-rolls and quickly get to the content they love,” says Chris George, PopSugar Vice President, Ad Products and Insights. “Are You A Human brought us a solution that provides a great user-experience and delivers value to advertisers."

PlayThru for Video expands on Are You a Human’s existing PlayThru product, a verification ad unit that replaces the distorted text of CAPTCHA. PlayThru is currently used on over 7,000 sites and verifies over seven million users as real humans each month. Companies such as Ford, Chevy, and Hasbro have run PlayThru campaigns.

“We don’t want to just be another company that shoves ads in people’s faces,” says Mr. Tatoris. “With all of our products, our mission is to make online experiences better for people. Our research shows that when brands help make people’s lives better, those people not only remember the brand, but are appreciative and thankful.”

Are You a Human (www.areyouahuman.com) transforms online annoyances into unforgettable advertising. By providing an experience that consumers actually enjoy, Are You a Human enables advertisers to achieve unprecedented levels of interaction and brand recall. Over seven million real people engage with the company’s products each month. 

Are You a Human, based in Detroit, is a privately held company founded in 2011. It has received funding from Detroit Venture Partners, the First Step Fund, the Frankel Fund, and Automation Alley.