Is Google Video TV?

Two mildly interesting announcements occurred today, in a remarkable co-incidence. Firstly, Google Video announced it is opening a local Australian offering. Second, nab teased us with an announcement that it is scaling back traditional 30 second TV advertising and considering the allocation of a larger share of advertising budget online.

Both interesting stories, but neither one particularly astonishing. Yet taken together, they pose an interesting question. Is online video the same as television, in terms of its advertising responsiveness?

I certainly can't answer this question, but someone should be thinking long and hard about it. I wonder whether nab will dump 30 second ads and instead create 2-3 minute shorts that build the brand - which it will then post online. I know at least one pretty large Australian company (in financial services) is looking at that sort of approach, and the video has already been created and circulated (it might still be beta so I don't think I can reveal who it is). I've seen it, and it is certainly different!

Within around six months we should get some data about the advertising effectiveness of video placement on Youtube, Google et al. It will be well worth keeping an eye on, and it will be amusing to hear how the free tv guys respond.