Developed by members of the IAB Digital Video Technical Standards Working Group, the revision offers improvements for the delivery and measurement of video advertising, including sophisticated delivery and tracking options for clients, the ability to select ads dynamically for insertion, and a more seamless experience for the viewer.
VAST is a Video Ad Serving Template for structuring ad tags that serve ads to video players. Using an XML schema, VAST transfers important metadata about an ad from the ad server to a video player. Initially launched in 2008, VAST has since played an important role in the growth of the digital video marketplace.
The early days of video consisted mostly of shared videos and other user-generated content. Success in monetizing this content with ads has produced the resources to improve the digital video marketplace. However, digital video has met a number of challenges along the way.