Our picks: the best examples of rich media ads

Rich media ads have been around for several years now. But even though they are not new to most users, new technologies are being developed every year and new ad formats being tested and used by companies aiming to achieve ever-higher clickthrough rates (CTR). So if you haven’t paid much attention to what was happening in the rich media ads world during last year don’t worry, you are in the right place.

In this article, we will give a summary of the ad formats that have been trending in the digital industry, and provide you with the best rich media banner ads examples. So let’s get it started!

What is rich media?

First things first, what are we referring to when we talk about “rich media”?

Basically, every ad that includes multimedia features – such as audio, animation, video, and other traditional elements like images and text – is considered to be a rich media ad. These ads have become popular among the digital industry due to their great outcomes for those who are marketing their service or product. For instance, rich media ads encourage viewers to engage and interact with the content in a dynamic way, leading to increased conversions and higher clickthrough and view rates.

The creation of this ad format is usually a time-consuming process, requiring more effort and capital than the other traditional formats. However, rich media ads perform much better than static banner ads. In fact, according to an eMarketer research, in 2014 rich media ads were outperforming standard banner ads by 267%.

Pretty impressive, huh?

Our favourite rich media ads examples?

As rich media is the format to go with if you are aiming for higher interaction and engagement rates for your marketed services and products, we are going to present you with our selection of what we consider to be the 5 best rich media ads examples.

These are Interstitial ads, Reward Video ads, Expandable ads, Playable ads, and Native ads. Let’s now dive deeper into each one of these formats, and understand why they are trending among marketers in the digital world!

Interstitial Ads

Interstitial ads are visuals that cover the entire mobile screen at the size of 320 x 480, 300 x 400, or 300 x 250 pixels. This ad format is likely to engage the users as it allows the marketer to display a clearer call-to-action and to implement more creative content like videos, a store locator, and many other features.

These ads usually appear in important moments of the users’ navigation or experiences, such as opening a new page, browsing between pages, or in-between game levels. A button to close the ad is usually presented to the user or an option to swipe to navigate to the desired content.

Check the mobile, tablet, and desktop versions of the Brazil Nuts interstitial ad, by Paddy Power.

Reward Video Ads

This ad format is most commonly used in mobile games, and – according to recent studies – it is strongly connected with the increasing popularity of in-app purchases. For instance, when the players overcome a challenge or reach the next level in their favourite mobile game, they will be presented with a skippable video that offers them the possibility of gaining some in-app currency.

According to the same study, 46% of players today prefer viewing rewarded video content over any other ad offering.
Usually, the longer the video, the more the user gets rewarded. Companies like Spotify have already adopted this ad format to offer 30 minutes of music without interruptions to non-premium users.

Expandable Ads

Expandable ads are a combination of banners with interstitial ads. They usually start as banners, with a 320 x 50 or 300 x 50-pixel dimension which, following the user’s tap, expands to a larger or full-screen ad (320 x 480 pixels e.g.).

This format is less intrusive than others since the expanded ad appears on the app/website the users are navigating on, without redirecting them to other landing pages, and still offers marketers the space to deliver an intended message in a creative way, overcoming the issue of banner blindness.

Check out this expandable ad promoting the Tourism of New Zealand.

Playable Ads

Playable ads are interactive ads that simulate the actual app or a ‘micro-game. At Appetite, we are experts in the creation of this type of campaign. Creating a physical interaction with your audience elevates the chances of viewers to pay attention to the ad and your brand, instead of just passively looking at it.

According to a recent report, gamification marketing strategies can increase user engagement and interactions by 30-40%, as well as time spent on ads and on top of that, help users create a positive association between a unique gamified experience and your brand.

Check out the playable ads we have created for Starbucks, Kinder Bueno, or KitKat.

Native Ads

This is a booming ad format in the digital world these days! The primary advantage of native ads is that they are adjustable, according to the look and feel of the media format they appear in.

This is possible because marketers provide the publisher with the components of the ad such as the images, call to actions and videos – which will allow the ad to be displayed as an in-app ad, as a reward video, as a content recommendation block, or a piece of sponsored content, among other options.

Ready to learn more about rich media ads?

Realised that rich media ads are the format to go with for your brand? Would you like to try it and step up your advertising game? We are an experienced and multi-awarded creative agency that has collaborated with Adidas, British Airways, or Lego, delivering the best and most creative ad campaigns, using a wide range of ad formats, including playable ads.

Visit the ‘Our Work’ page to see more rich media ads examples, and contact us to design your next campaign!