Each exposure builds on a narrative, not repeating the same message
In the long arc of advertising's uneasy relationship with human attention, Omnicom Media and Disney have arrived at a quiet but meaningful inflection point: rather than repeating a single message until it breeds resentment, they have built a system that lets brand stories unfold across a viewing session the way a conversation deepens over time. The partnership, drawing on Disney's audience intelligence, Acxiom's data infrastructure, and Innovid's sequencing technology, addresses a frustration felt by nearly two-thirds of streaming viewers — the numbing repetition of the same advertisement seen four or more times in a single sitting. It is, at its core, a wager that respecting attention is not just more humane but more effective.
- 61% of viewers report genuine frustration when the same ad plays more than four times in one sitting — a problem that becomes acute during live sports marathons lasting three hours or more.
- The solution stitches together Disney's identity graph, Acxiom's audience data, and Innovid's real-time sequencing to serve evolving 15-to-60-second creatives that build on what a viewer has already seen.
- Speed is the critical variable: for live events, the system must identify the viewer, assess their ad history, and deliver the right creative asset in real time — a technical challenge Innovid manages end-to-end.
- The Home Depot and an unnamed financial services firm are already deploying the system, using emotional live-event moments to serve contextually relevant, sequentially evolving brand narratives.
- Omnicom is now in talks with additional streamers, suggesting this data-driven, narrative-first ad model is poised to become an industry standard rather than a single partnership experiment.
Omnicom Media and Disney have built a system that allows advertisers to tell evolving stories across multiple ad exposures during a single viewing session, rather than repeating the same creative until viewers tune out entirely. The impetus is measurable: Omnicom's own research found that 61% of viewers grow genuinely frustrated seeing the same advertisement more than four times in one sitting. During live programming like sports, where a viewer might be engaged for three continuous hours, that frustration compounds with every repeated impression.
The technology works through several layers operating in concert. Disney's identity graph connects with Acxiom's audience data platform and Omnicom's Omni operating system, while Innovid handles the actual sequencing — determining in real time which 15-, 30-, or 60-second creative to serve based on what a viewer has already seen. For live content, the speed of that decision-making is essential; the right ad must reach the right person at precisely the right moment.
Two brands are already live on the system. The Home Depot has deployed it to align messaging with the emotional texture of live sports moments, with the company's VP of integrated marketing describing it as a way to meet audiences where they actually are. A financial services company, unnamed by Omnicom, is also participating. On the measurement side, clean room technology allows Acxiom's and Disney's data to connect securely, creating a feedback loop that lets production teams learn what is working and refine future creative accordingly.
For Disney, reducing ad repetition protects the platform's own reputation as much as it serves advertisers. For Omnicom, the model represents a broader philosophy: each impression should introduce something new rather than hammer the same pitch. With similar partnerships already in negotiation with other streamers, the industry appears to be moving toward a model where narrative intelligence, not raw frequency, becomes the primary currency of attention.
Omnicom Media and Disney have built a system that lets advertisers tell stories across multiple ad exposures instead of hammering viewers with the same message over and over. The partnership combines Disney's streaming reach with Omnicom's data and creative tools, allowing brands to serve ads that evolve and build on each other during a single viewing session—a shift that addresses one of streaming's most persistent annoyances.
The problem the two companies are solving is concrete and measurable. According to research Omnicom conducted, 61% of viewers become genuinely frustrated when they see the same advertisement more than four times in a single sitting. For live programming like sports, where viewers might be watching for three hours straight, the repetition becomes especially grating. Joanna O'Connell, chief intelligence officer for Omnicom Media North America, noted that this is where the frustration peaks—not during a quick browsing session, but during extended viewing where the same creative plays again and again. The solution lets advertisers swap in different ads as a viewer's session continues, breaking the monotony while keeping the brand message alive.
The mechanics involve several layers of technology working in concert. Disney's identity graph—its understanding of who viewers are—connects with Acxiom's audience data platform and Omnicom's Omni operating system. Innovid's technology then handles the actual sequencing, deciding which 15-, 30-, or 60-second creative to serve next based on what the viewer has already seen. The system can operate in real time, which matters enormously for live content. Speed is essential when you're trying to insert ads into a live game or event; the creative has to reach the right person at the right moment, and Innovid manages both the decision-making and the actual delivery of assets.
Two advertisers are already using the system. The Home Depot, a major retail brand, has deployed it, along with a financial services company Omnicom declined to name. For The Home Depot, the appeal is clear: live sports and entertainment moments carry emotional weight, and the ability to respond to those moments with relevant, evolving creative feels more authentic than serving the same ad repeatedly. Allison Kolber, the company's vice president of integrated marketing, described it as a way to align messaging with how audiences are actually feeling in real time.
The measurement piece matters as much as the creative delivery. Megan Pagliuca, chief product officer for Omnicom Media, emphasized that advances in clean room technology—which allows Acxiom's data and Disney's data to connect securely without exposing raw information—enable insights that flow back to creative teams. That feedback loop means production teams can learn what's working and adjust future creative accordingly. Keith Camoosa, Acxiom's chief product and technology innovation officer, framed this as a connectivity advantage: the system lets advertisers take their own first-party data and understand how it relates to Disney's audiences, creating a more strategic planning capability.
For Disney, the partnership offers a way to reduce the ad repetition problem that, while often blamed on brands, ultimately reflects on the platform too. Jamie Power, senior vice president of addressable sales at Disney, positioned sequential storytelling as a more sophisticated approach to advertising—one where each impression builds on the last rather than repeating the same pitch. It's a fundamentally different model: instead of trying to maximize frequency with a single message, advertisers use each exposure to introduce new ideas and deepen engagement.
Omnicom is already in talks with other streamers about similar partnerships, signaling that this approach may become standard practice across the industry. The shift reflects a broader move toward more intelligent, data-driven ad delivery that respects viewer attention while giving brands more nuanced ways to communicate. For advertisers tired of managing the risk of overexposure, the ability to vary messaging within a single session offers a real solution.
Notable Quotes
Live sports and entertainment create some of the most emotionally engaged moments in media today. This solution gives brands the ability to respond to those moments in ways that feel authentic and relevant.— Allison Kolber, VP of integrated marketing, The Home Depot
Rather than delivering the same message repeatedly, advertisers can use each exposure to build on a narrative, introduce new ideas, and deepen consumer engagement.— Jamie Power, SVP of addressable sales, Disney
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does this matter now? Streaming ads have been around for years.
Because the problem got worse. As more people watch longer—three-hour games, binge sessions—the same ad plays more times in one sitting. Sixty-one percent of viewers say they're frustrated by that. The technology to fix it finally exists.
So this is just about showing different ads instead of the same one?
It's more than that. It's about showing ads that talk to each other. The first ad introduces an idea, the second builds on it, the third deepens it. You're not just varying the message—you're telling a story across multiple exposures.
How do they know what ad to show next?
Data and speed. Disney knows who you are, Acxiom knows your interests, and Innovid decides in real time which creative to serve based on what you've already seen. For live sports, that decision has to happen in seconds.
Who benefits most—the brand or the viewer?
Both, ideally. The viewer sees less repetition and more relevant messaging. The brand gets to tell a more sophisticated story and measure what actually works. But the brand benefits more immediately—they get to reduce wasted ad spend on repetition.
Is this just for big companies like Home Depot?
For now, yes. It requires integration with Disney's system and Omnicom's infrastructure. But Omnicom is already talking to other streamers, so the capability will spread.
What happens to the data after the ad plays?
It goes into a clean room—a secure space where Disney's data and Acxiom's data can talk to each other without exposing raw information. That insight flows back to creative teams so they can make better ads next time.