Pre-Rolls have become more popular than ever this year; this ad format is engaging, captivating, and succinct. But modern Pre-Rolls can look too dull and uninspiring to hook the user.

With this in mind, we’re willing to share our field experience of deploying Pre-Rolls to help you get the most out of this magnificent ad format. When done right, Pre-Rolls convert like a machine; read on to build one yourself.

Pre-Rolls explained

Pre-Rolls are common on YouTube and other tube sites. As the name suggests, Pre-Rolls precede the main video. For comparison, there are Mid-Rolls and End-Rolls, but their performance is usually not as good, especially when it comes to adult tubes.

Pre-Rolls can be skippable (lasting 15–40 seconds on average) or non-skippable (about 6 seconds). From what the records show, 20–30 seconds tends to be the sweet spot for engaging but not annoying.

Typically, Pre-Rolls display a brand logo first to get the user’s attention. In the middle, they typically feature either a collection of live shows or a single stream. Things are wrapped up with a CTA (it can be omitted at times, though, if the brand is famous). That’s the basics of Pre-Rolls, but we still need to go deeper.

Pre-Roll specifications on TwinRed

Various platforms might have different requirements for ad formats. When working with us, make sure your Pre-Rolls comply with our set standards:

• Resolution: 1920×1080 or 1280×720
• File format: .mp4 or VAST tag
• Maximum size: 4 MB
• Maximum duration: 40 seconds
• Maximum skip offset: 5 seconds

Of course, you need a video editor to produce a Pre-Roll — that’s pretty straightforward. However, if you prefer to fine-tune things for maximum efficiency, you need a set of tools.

Which tools we use to make Pre-Rolls

Adobe provides almost all the tools needed to make converting creatives, including Pre-Rolls. When we want a boisterous thumbnail and overlay, we use Photoshop. Premiere Pro is handy for tight pacing and precise cuts. Effects is a good pick when we’d like to achieve glitchy motion, kinetic text, and weird transitions.

At TwinRed, we take a pragmatic approach to all kinds of software, and AI is no exception. RunwayML is good for cleaning things up, fixing scenes, and making cuts (similar to Premiere Pro). Sora is perfect for prototyping a short video with a certain vibe. It’s all about the right app for the right job.

Oftentimes, AI can communicate with other AI entities better than humans can. For example, the tandem of Midjourney and GPT-4o is excellent for sketching storyboards, brainstorming angles, or building mood boards. An important advantage of GPT-4o is that it becomes accustomed to your voice, puns, and aims. However, this takes time to develop, so you need to put in the time and effort so it knows how to help you. It can serve as a capable assistant, who is always more motivated than a group of crunchers at the office.

AI is not only about images and prompts; here are some unconventional usages of AI:

• Omnihuman can make any static face to talk and serves as a fast avatar narrator.
• ElevenLabs provides a range of voiceovers that can sound sultry, tacky, robotic, possessed, or ASMR-like.
• Udio is all about music, which we sometimes use to fit the brand name into the lyrics. If you plan to utilize it too, make sure that music doesn’t clash with… well… other sounds.

These are some of the tools we have at our disposal for making media. But the most important asset of our media buying team is its expertise; below, you will find a few tips from our experts.

Best Practices for Pre-Rolls

Sure, Pre-Rolls might last 30 seconds, but 27 seconds can go in vain if you don’t get the user’s attention immediately. While the quality of ads in general has improved, they can sometimes look way too bland and sterile. Opt for unusual and slightly provocative headlines:

• “Human girls are overrated” (since Jasmin.AI is all the vogue now)
• “This AI doesn’t ghost you”

In fact, you can even incorporate memes or cringy stuff just to stand out amongst the crowd. Shock and awe may be a viable strategy sometimes. If they laugh, there is a good chance they will tell their friends about the ad and remember it. Weirdness is not always bad, but try not to go overboard by following some tried-and-true approaches.

Give users a benefit upfront and play with their emotions. Add a voiceover that leans in hard, like combining late-night TV ambiance with a thirst trap from TikTok.

If you add music, make sure it doesn’t clash with the arousing sounds, at least when it comes to cam shows. The key here is to keep things simple, but music can actually set the right vibe for the user to perceive the rest of the info.

A successful Pre-Roll is more than just an ad — it’s a mini film that halts further scrolling. It doesn’t have to be flawless, but Pre-Roll must be surprising, tension-evoking, and emotional. You want the user to start questioning themselves, “What the heck was that? Wait… bring that thing back… NOW.”

And if you’re still unsure where to start, remember to stay in touch with your Account Manager to create top-notch Pre-Rolls that fit your funnel like a glove.