Users are more likely to consider purchasing from brands that use interactive video advertisements, a new study has found.

Market research firm EyeSee conducted the study for digital advertising company Exponential Interactive, with 500 US participants monitored and quizzed for results.

Testing times

The participants were shown interactive video ads and 30-second pre-roll units, as well as standard banner ads on mock websites at home using their own devices.

EyeSee activated the participants' webcams and front-facing cameras to look for visual cues in the form of expressions and how their eyes tracked what was on-screen.

More than being more memorable due to the interaction, the study found interactive ads contribute to positive thoughts about brands and their products.

Building positive outlooks

The results found 13% of the 500 participants said they 'definitely will' consider purchasing from a brand after viewing a standard pre-roll. This figure increased to 17% for Exponential's VDX pre-rolls and 19% for their VDX Rectangle ads.

The company's interactive ads also held users' attention for double the amount of time as a standard ad.

Crucially, 69% of users spent more than five seconds looking at interactive ads, an enormous increase over the 11% who spent as long viewing standard animated banners.

With brands and marketers always looking for a breakthrough in new projects, interactive ads might just be the key to kick things off.