TimesAction Offers Custom Mobile Rich-Media Enabled Ad Units to Advertisers
The New York Times Idea Lab (NYTimes.com/IdeaLab) today launched TimesAction, a new series of advertising capabilities and mobile rich-media ad interface definitions (MRAID), on its iPad News App, to support further innovation, streamlined production and specialized targeting opportunities for its advertisers.
The Times's Idea Lab has also launched a variety of new custom MRAID-enabled advertising units for iPad including:
In-App Download: This capability allows for a user to purchase and download any selection of media that is available in iTunes, all within the ad unit. This includes music or video available in iTunes, but also proprietary apps that advertisers might wish to promote to users of The Times's iPad app.
Direct Coupon Download: Users can download a special offer, ticket or coupon from an ad unit that saves directly to their iPad Photo Stream, resulting in it being saved to the consumer's other devices, such as an iPhone.
Calendar: Allows users to download and save information directly into their iPad calendar to help them schedule appointments and reminders tied to special offers or events.
Panorama: Users can visually pan around a 360-degree environment using touch and swipe motions. For example, advertisers may use this feature to display a retail location.
A number of other Idea Lab custom units will also now be available in-app for the first time, including Pleats, which offers advertisers four distinct panels to showcase full-screen images in expanded format through an XXL unit; Unveil, which allows users to interact with a brand message by "wiping away" an initial image to reveal another one underneath it; and Product Zoom, a newsroom-inspired ad concept that can showcase a product's finer details through magnification as a user moves the cursor over the image.
"The launch of MRAID capabilities allows advertisers to simplify the process of development, production, execution and targeting of innovative advertising units on The New York Times on iPad," said Todd Haskell, group vice president of Advertising, The New York Times. "We are seeing more and more brands that want to execute highly engaging, unique advertising experiences on mobile. The introduction of these new units cuts development time dramatically and reduces the complexity associated with building an elaborate custom unit while offering advertisers access to The Times's unparalleled scale on the iPad."
Demos of these programs, as well as a number of other mobile advertising innovations, are available on request for agencies and brands as an app download.
This project originated from The Times's Innovation Challenge, an internal contest that encourages employees to develop new prototypes and designs for potential applications for The Times's digital businesses.
MRAID is the Interactive Advertising Bureau's (IAB) Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence's project to define a common API (Application Programming Interface) for mobile rich media ads that will run in mobile apps.
