Once upon a primetime, advertising had its place: neatly slotted between soapies on TV or nestled between the pages of your favourite magazine. It interrupted, yes, but in a predictable, acceptable, run-of-the-mill kinda way.
Then the Internet Age arrived, and with it, borderless content. Licensing windows collapsed. If you were open to early-hour alarms and bleary eyes the next day, you could watch Game of Thrones from your apartment in Maboneng at the same time as viewers in New York – sparking a global cultural phenomenon and the rise of the term “spoiler alert”.
Streaming platforms took off, content exploded, and the humble ad break started fading as fast as the internet dial-up tone we once thought we’d never forget.
Now, we’re entering a new era: the Age of AI. Content is more curated, personalised and on-demand than ever before. And while we have never liked to be interrupted by ads when we’re enjoying our media, we now have more options to skip it: in a global study, 65% of users says they would skip an ad when the skip button is available.
And it’s not only because attention spans are shortening: in the era of so much choice, we are inundated with media vying for our attention. We’ve had to become more and more selective in what we give our attention to. So yes, while we might skip the ads on YouTube, we can still binge Sirens in one sitting.
The truth is: ads can’t afford to be disruptive anymore. They need to be intentional, intelligent, and integral to the viewing experience.
Ads aren’t the enemy. Irrelevance is
In the same way that content has become more curated, so too must advertising. We live in an age of infinite choice, where consumers have learned to filter out anything that doesn’t serve them. Attention spans are short, but they’re not the enemy, irrelevance is.
According to the report Ad blockers and advocacy: Why Gen Z is blocking paid ads in favour of real voices, 99% of Gen Z consumers will skip an ad if it’s an option while 63% use ad blockers to avoid online adverts. They give a lot of attention to the things they care about and almost none to what they don’t.
But let’s be honest. No one wants to see ads. Not Gen Z. Not Millennials. Not even Boomers. But people do want to discover new ideas, innovations and solutions – so long as they’re timely and will add real value to their lives.
The implication for brands? Stop interrupting and start integrating.
Ads evolving into the key that unlocks content
Think of platforms like YouTube, Spotify or even eVOD’s ad-supported tier. In these environments, ads are the price of access to content. If you’re not paying with money, you’re paying with attention.
Advertising video on demand (AVOD) is now powering access to high-quality content for audiences who may not be able (or willing) to fork out monthly subscription fees, while CTV home screen advertising is capturing viewers before they’ve even decided which streamer they plan on browsing.
But not all ads are created equal. From pause ads and pre-rolls to brand integrations and sponsored content, there’s an art – and a science – to delivering advertising that actually resonates. It’s not about shouting the loudest; it’s about showing up in the right place, at the right time, with the right message.
Enter AI: The future is customised
Here’s where it gets exciting. Thanks to AI, we can start building campaigns that adapt to the person watching; not just their demographic, but their mood, behaviour and needs. Soon, two people watching the same show might see completely different ads; not just in what they see, but how they see it. Creative will become modular, messaging more personalised, and delivery will be deeply intentional.
And it’s not just the content that’s changing: the very platforms we consume it on are evolving. Curated playlists have redefined music. AI-generated watchlists are reshaping TV. Even traditional search is being disrupted by generative tools that give us answers, not results.
What happens when half of all global ad spend – currently funnelled into Search – needs to find a new home?
Advertising has never been more important
As digital content continues to grow and fragment, advertising isn’t going away. But it is being redefined. In a world of limited attention and unlimited content, advertising needs to work harder.
The good news? We now have the tools to do it. Technology is finally on the side of advertisers, allowing us to deliver campaigns that are not just targeted, but elegant.
Powerful ads are those that feel like part of the story. Whether that’s through AVOD, branded content, or CTV formats like home screen billboards – brands must show up with intelligence, not intrusion.
Because in the AI age, the best ads won’t interrupt your content. They’ll be the key that unlocks it.
Leslie Adams is sales director at Reach Africa. Reach Africa connects local and international content owners with diverse audiences across the continent. As a leading specialist in Connected TV (CTV), Advertising Video on Demand (AVOD), and Free Ad-Supported TV (FAST) monetisation, Reach Africa helps brands engage high-value audiences while enabling content owners to maximise revenue across the continent.
