HTML5 has been put through its paces to create a snazzy promotional game, in an effort to increase lacklustre response rates to banner ads on the iPad.
The HTML5 ‘gamified’ banner, created by US creative agency Glow Interactive for USA Network’s ‘White Collar’, can be found on the New York Times’ page when browsing an iPad. The intention of the ad is to integrate the brand with the ad source. In other words, it forces consumers to connect with the brand to “create a deeper level of engagement”.
Alexandra Shapiro, SVP Brand Marketing and Digital at USA Network, said: “The iPad rich media, over-the-page browser ad for the premiere of White Collar is undoubtedly the first of its kind for any iOS device. By customising the interactive experience for our current and potential fans, USA is using technology to create more meaningful and memorable communications.”
Glow Interactive managing partner, Mike Molnar, said that while everyone is raving about in-app advertising on the iPad, a big opportunity is being missed with “the number one app out there, the Safari browser.”
“Browser-based, rich media on the iPad offers a massive opportunity for advertisers who want to extend dynamic display media into the hands of mobile users on a device that has now reached mass market saturation with over 14 million units sold,” Mr Molnar said.
However, the real selling power of promotional games like this is the high prospect of engagement, as advertisers move from “click-to-interact” to a “touch-and-experience” model. Couple that with compelling functionality and we see great opportunity to increase engagement time with the consumer in ways that traditional media could never compete with.
