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MNTN Creative Best Practices

Follow these creative best practices to ensure your creative is set up for success.

Megan Briggs avatar
Written by Megan Briggs
Updated over a week ago

Creating effective Connected TV (CTV) content requires more than just a good script or visuals. To ensure your message resonates and drives action, it's critical to follow key creative best practices tailored to the brand’s target audience and campaign objectives.


🧠 Create with Audience and Objective in Mind

Before you begin, align with the brand by asking the right questions:

  • Who is the customer’s buying profile?

  • What is the customer’s primary objective?

Understanding the brand’s goals helps shape a compelling story that naturally engages the intended audience and meets business outcomes.

💡 Tip: If you’re unsure about the brand’s goals or audience, ask for clarification in the Activity Log.


🎨 Key Creative Elements of a CTV Ad

These essential elements should be incorporated into every CTV video to drive brand awareness, engagement, and conversions.

Creative Element

Description

✅ Clear Call to Action (CTA)

Encourages viewers to act through messages of urgency or direction.
Examples: “Sign Up Today” or “Don’t miss out – visit our website now”

✅ Persistent Logo and URL

Keep the brand’s logo and URL visible throughout most of the video to build recognition and help viewers know where to go.

✅ Voiceover

Since CTV ads always play with sound, use voiceovers to boost engagement—especially helpful when viewers aren’t actively watching the screen.


🚫 Creative Elements to Avoid

Certain elements may hinder user experience on CTV and should be excluded:

  • ❌ QR Codes – Viewers typically don’t have time to scan them during a short 15–30 second spot.

  • ❌ Phone Numbers – Not ideal for short-form content; viewers are unlikely to dial in while watching TV.


✅ Required Elements Checklist

  • Voiceover

  • Logo present throughout most of the video

  • URL present throughout most of the video

  • CTA


MNTN CTV Video Specs

When exporting videos, it is important that the export specifications align with the platform in order to avoid upload errors. Please use the below guide to ensure the videos you create are in line with MNTN's export specifications:

Element

Specification

Primary Aspect Ratio

16:9 (1920x1080 min)

Video Length

:15s or :30s (must be exact)

Recommended File Type

.mp4 or .mov

Frame Rate

23.98, 35, or 29.97 FPS

Bitrate

15-30 MBPS

Audio Levels

  • Overall mix level: -10db to -14db

  • Dialogue: -12db to -15db

  • Music: -18db to -22db

  • Sound effects: -10db to -20db w/ occasional spikes up to -8db

Note: In order to avoid network denial of your creative, all of the components of a video need to be the same frame rate and match the editing timeline before editing or exporting. Multiple frame rates in one creative will trigger a duplicate frame rate issue, and your ads will not be served.

If you have questions or concerns about your video frame rate, please contact the creator or your CSM.

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