A custom overlay is an interactive video ad built from scratch for your campaign, for concepts that don’t fit an existing format. Whether it’s a quiz, a product reveal or an idea nobody has run before, Clipflip’s team designs the overlay with your own look and animations and delivers it as an in-player experience that runs like any other video ad.
How does a custom overlay get built?
You bring the idea and the campaign goal, and our team turns it into a working overlay: the concept and design in your brand look, the interaction, the animations and the click-through. You review it, we adjust it, and the finished ad ships as a standard VAST tag that runs through your ad server. Several of our standard formats started this way, as a brief that didn’t fit anything we had.
When should you build a custom overlay?
When none of the existing formats carries your idea, or when the campaign needs to look like nothing viewers have seen before: a product launch, a pitch where the agency wants to stand out, or a brand with a strong interactive concept of its own. For pitches that matter, we can build a free demo video so the client sees the idea working.
Where can custom overlays run?
Custom overlays run as pre-roll, outstream and banner video ads. Clipflip delivers them as a VAST 3.0 and 4.2 tag, the IAB standard that video players and ad servers use to serve ads, plus an iframe for outstream placements. The tag works with Adform, Google DV360, Xandr and other VAST-compatible ad servers, so you book the campaign in your existing setup like any other video ad.
Which industries get the most out of Your Crazy Format Idea?
- E-Commerce
- Fashion & Retail
- Tourism
- Electronics & Technology
- Automotive
- Employer Branding
How do brands use Your Crazy Format Idea?
Ecommerce: Feature multiple products in one ad to increase cart value. Viewers browse and select items they want, driving 3x higher purchase intent than single-product ads.
Tourism: Boost bookings by showcasing multiple destinations or experiences. Travelers explore options at their own pace, leading to more qualified clicks and longer site visits.
Automotive: Highlight key features and trim levels to accelerate purchase decisions. Prospects self-select what matters most to them, improving dealer lead quality.
Employer Branding: Communicate multiple employer benefits to attract diverse talent. Candidates engage with benefits most relevant to them, increasing application rates.
Your Crazy Format Idea specifications
| Placement | Pre-Roll, Outstream, Banner |
|---|---|
| Delivery | VAST 3.0 & 4.2 tag, iframe for outstream |
| Ad servers | Adform, Google DV360, Xandr and other VAST-compatible servers |
| Headline | 30 chars max |
| Subline | 60 chars max |
| Call to action | 20 chars max |
| Picture | optional |
| Video file type | .mp4, .mov |
| Video dimensions | 16:9, 1:1, 9:16, 4:3 |
| Video length | 10s - 45s |
| Graphic file type | .jpg, .png, .svg, .gif |
| Graphic file size | Max 300KB per asset |
| Design | Your own design and animations |
| Interaction | Built to your concept, e.g. a quiz or a product reveal |
Sources and standards
See more examples in Gallery
Your Crazy Format Idea: Frequently Asked Questions
Quizzes, product reveals and interactions nobody has built yet. If the idea can run inside a video player, we can usually build it, and if it can’t, we’ll tell you early and suggest the closest thing that works.
Your idea or brief, the campaign goal, the video (10 to 45 seconds, .mp4 or .mov) and your brand assets. We take it from there and come back with a first version for you to review.
Yes. Agencies that want to build interactive video ads in-house can grow into Clipflip Studio, our self-serve tool. Concepts that need a custom build, like this one, stay with our team.
