Like it or not, the Vine renewal app Byte is drawing in a staple of modern social networks: prominent adverts. The looping video app has launched its first advert campaign with Nike, which is running a rather apparent “Self Hail Mary” sponsored part alongside the standard classes. It’s easy to avoid viewing the videos if you do not notably care for them. However, there’ll be no doubt that Nike paid for prominent placement.
Don’t be surprised if you see more of those advert blitzes in the future. Byte’s strategy rotates around paying creators a cut of advert revenue, and it will need big promos like Nike’s if it has enough money to make it worthwhile for would-be influencers. The problem, after all, is to bring in enough adverts without driving away the very user’s Byte needs to recreate Vine’s glory days.