Advertisers! New Reels Style Vertical Video Ad Format
Vertical Video: Built to convert users who love Reel/TikTok style content
According to ExoClicks 2026 Media Kit, network statistics show that 78.7% of ads are served on mobile devices globally. With this growth in consuming content on mobile devices and the growth of short-form video content like Reels, Stories, Shorts, etc, users are spending more time watching videos designed specifically for a full-screen mobile, vertical experience.
To ensure that Advertisers can fully monetize the popularity of watching vertical videos, ExoClick has released the Vertical Video (VAST) ad format.
What is ExoClick’s Vertical Video ad format?
Built around the 9:16 aspect ratio, the Vertical Video ad is served within video content just like In-Stream using VAST. The Video ad plays automatically, there is no Skip Ad button, to close the ad the end user swipes it away, just like TikTok.
Why Vertical Video matters for Advertisers
The way users consume video has changed. Traditional video advertising was designed around landscape formats and longer viewing sessions. Today, mobile users expect fast, engaging content that fits naturally into their scrolling experience. Now you can reach mobile audiences inside the short-form feeds they already love.
ExoClick’s new Vertical Video reels style ad format places your 9:16 creative inside short-form and long form video feeds on a Publishers website. Your ad will appear between organic videos, autoplays, behaving like the content around it. Displaying in a high-intent, full-screen immersive viewing experience.
Vertical Video benefits for Advertisers
New way to reach users: Full screen video gives enormous potential to engage end users to find out more about your offers. Vertical video is how to reach Gen Z and Millennials. Deliver campaigns designed specifically for vertical viewing behaviour.
Swipe based content discovery: Integrate your video ads into vertical video content and become part of the scrolling culture created by apps like Instagram and TikTok. This creates a sense of ‘native feel’ for the end user, because the ad follows the exact same swipe/scroll behaviour as organic content, reducing ad fatigue.
Better engagement: Design your video ad creatives specifically for the environment where they will appear, helping campaigns feel more natural and increasing engagement potential. Creating more immersive ad experiences to drive conversions.
Premium ad placement in high-attention environments: Vertical Video ads are inserted directly into Reels-style feeds on Publisher websites, where users are already in a lean-forward, full-screen viewing mode
Drives taps/clicks: The 9:16 full-page vertical format features optional CTA and friendly url for a higher, qualified CTR.
Flexible pricing: Vertical Video ads are available on CPM, Smart CPM, CPC and CPV so you can optimize for reach, cost, or performance goals.
Metrics for content optimization: Discover at what point end users swipe away your video ad, so that you can optimize your video content to keep them watching until the end.
How to set up a Vertical Video Campaign
Upload your creative and start campaign creation!
Select the format: Open the Ad Format dropdown and choose Vertical Video. The Zone Type will automatically lock to Vertical Video only.
Pick your asset: Only assets validated as Vertical Video will appear in the asset picker. Select your uploaded creative.
Add optional materials: Include a CTA. Title and Description should be added within your VAST Tag
Set targeting: GEO, device, category, and all other targeting options work the same as other video formats.
See our Vertical Video ad format documentation here.
Vertical Video best practices for Advertisers
Use the correct format & ratio: Ensure the video file is MP4 and within the 9:16 ±10% tolerance to avoid rejection at upload as detailed in the table above.
Only use vertical content: Ensure your ad creative uses the full vertical canvas — horizontal or square creatives won’t be served. Frame the subject for 9:16 from the start — don’t crop a landscape clip; keep key action centred and away from edges.
Match the native feel: You ad creative should look like organic short-form content (UGC style) which tends to outperform polished TV-style ad spots.
Keep videos punchy: The maximum duration is 30 seconds which works well in swipeable content feeds. Keep it short and looping-friendly. Toward the lower end of 5–30 sec often performs best; a clean loop point rewards the repeat-until-swipe behaviour.
Lead with the hook: Provide a great hook in the first 2–3 seconds, the objective is to engage the end users so they don’t swipe away and dismiss your ad.
Include a clear CTA: This is optional, but recommended because it’s the primary conversion lever for this format. A single clear value proposition and an explicit CTA will convert better thana text crowded ad creative.
Design for sound-off, reward sound-on: Many views start muted; use minimal on-screen text and motion to carry the message, and make audio a bonus.
Content guideline: In order to ensure that our Compliance Team approves your campaign, ensure that your video ad doesn’t have too many texts. We recommend you concentrate on branding and just visual content. You can add a title and description within your ads VAST tag.
Note: Don’t have vertical creatives yet? ExoClick’s design service can produce on-spec 9:16 videos for you. Ask your account manager to brief the team — we can help to turn your existing assets into compliant vertical creatives so you don’t miss the launch window.
The future of mobile video advertising
As vertical video content and short-form video continues to influence how users discover and interact with content, vertical ad formats are becoming an increasingly important part of the digital advertising landscape.
ExoClick’s Vertical Video format is built to help Advertisers adapt to this shift by providing a modern video solution designed around mobile behaviour, engagement, and performance.
Start testing Vertical Video campaigns with ExoClick and explore a new way to connect with mobile audiences.
