IT IS an online advertiser’s dream. Some ads on the websites you visit could soon be impossible to ignore, as they will be integrated into the “captchas” used to check whether site visitors are human.

With many web users using tools to block online adverts, companies must find new ways to get their message across. Software firm NuCaptcha, based in Vancouver, Canada, believes the answer lies in captchas, as they require a user’s full attention to solve.

The firm has created NuCatpcha Engage to exploit this. Instead of the traditional squiggly word that users have to decipher, the new system shows them a video advert with a short message scrolling across it. The user has to identify and retype part of the message to proceed. Companies including Electronic Arts, Wrigley and Disney have already signed up.