What’s this all about?
Did you know that around 75% of video viewing worldwide takes place on mobile phones? And that most of us never actually rotate our phones to landscape mode anyway? And there we have it! That’s why, a few years ago, video creators came up with a new format – vertical video. In other words, footage shot deliberately in portrait orientation. This new trend, which is taking social media and the world of advertising by storm, was the focus of the recent Pocket Conference, held as part of the Vertifilms Prague festival. It featured talks by leading international figures in marketing who see both commercial and artistic potential in the vertical format.
The revolution is already underway
Whilst the new trend is still in its infancy in the Czech Republic, global brands are beginning to compete to see who can surprise users of Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and other social media platforms with the best vertical campaign. Business figures suggest a return on investment in vertical advertising that is up to three times higher than what we are used to with the horizontal format.
According to experts, the vertical format will sooner or later become the primary way of consuming content on mobile phones. Research has found, for example, that people hold their mobiles vertically 94% of the time, which also applies to the youngest Generation Z, who watch video posts on social media for several hours a day. In the form of stories, video clips and adverts.
Vertical business? Likes are the top priority
There are, of course, other facts linked to age. According to scientists, for instance, the human brain perceives vertical videos more naturally and is better able to process them. We connect more easily with a narrative that has been adapted to the screen; it evokes emotions in us and requires less mental effort. This is particularly important for the youngest target groups. If we look at the matter from the perspective of a marketing director for any brand, then ultimately what matters most to us is: likes, shares, clicks. Simply anything that boosts business.
How to tell stories that stand out?
How can we stand out in a digital world where there is already such a vast amount of video content? And how can we find new ways to capture the user’s attention? According to Tay Guan Hin, Chief Creative Officer at BBDO Singapore, the key lies in ‘vertical storytelling’.
According to him, since the start of the pandemic, the number of videos viewed on mobiles has increased by 80%. And by 2022, 80% of everything happening on our mobiles will be video content. So what else should brands start adapting their visual content strategy to as quickly as possible, if not the vertical format?
Tay Guan Hin explores and describes specific techniques that lead to a successful vertical narrative. The concept, script and camera work must adapt to the fact that the content ‘unfolds’ from top to bottom, not from right to left. We scroll vertically on our mobiles and, consequently, our eyes move vertically too. The story can also be split into two halves – one unfolds at the top and the other at the bottom. And what’s most entertaining is that, with a good idea, the vertical format can be used humorously to the story’s advantage. The script can even give it the leading role. Let things fall and fly, have people climb a ladder, or have eyes look up and wait for a surprise. Brands such as KitKat and Cimbbank have managed to do this in their vertical campaigns.
A new trend for digital platforms
Along with the new format, a number of platforms are emerging that support it. For example, TV channels can use them to broadcast both horizontally and vertically without having to produce two sets of content at once. The potential to reach our wallets is huge here too. Not only do people watch TV more often on their mobiles, but they’ll also be willing to watch it for longer than they do now.
“I call it the screen from nine to five. After five in the afternoon, people stick to the classic landscape format, but during the day we all have our phones in our hands. As both a producer and a film fan, I’m looking forward to the coming years and to Czech companies soon recognising the opportunity to be among the first,” explains Kryštof Šafer, a pioneer of the vertical format in the Czech Republic. He is among the first to offer professional production of vertical videos here.