Enhanced image ads
Google will soon be expanding its image ad program to include a wider variety of creative formats. We’ll be accepting animated GIFs from a small test group of advertisers, and you’ll be able to display these ads on your pages! The new ads will still adhere to the 50KB size limit, and will be reviewed according to our editorial guidelines for image ads. You can opt in to image ads from within your publisher account – for full instructions, please refer to the AdSense FAQ.
OK, now, this is interesting. On the one hand, it’s Google clearly following its customer’s lead – the advertising customer, that is. And it’s crossing a line that until now has not been crossed – moving, dancing images. What that has to do with relevance, the watchword of Google’s ad policies up until now, I can’t really say. Well, yes I can: Nothing. Animations are all about the other portion of advertising; getting your attention.
It won’t be long till my vision of Google as clearinghouse for the entire television upfront comes to pass, I’d wager…