Google experimenting with Slideshow Ads

Google is experimenting with a new ad format, that I would refer to by the name of "Slide Show Ads". I have now seen these ads in the sidebar of Startup Meme on and off. The ads are a hybrid of Text and Image ads with a slider full of images at the bottom. Clicking on each image opens the larger version of the image alongside its textual description. 

I have verified it from Google’s Adsense Ad formats page and have found out that these types of ads have not been officially listed in the available ad formats. The ads are appearing in a 336×280 Large Rectangle and keeping in view the space needed for such ads, I assume that they will only be served in rectangular ad formats.

The new ad format would be valuable for companies that wish to provide slide show based product or service tours to their potential users. Currently the text and image ads only served the purpose of sending out the message to the users. However, these new ads could be used to explain the working of the service or the product in its entirety to the user, without having him leave the site he is currently visiting. To sum it up, the ads would be an alternative to the products tour page, or may be even the FAQ page.

Although we do not make much of a revenue out of Google Adsense, we have just stuck with it in order to get first hand view of what type of ads Google is serving on our sites. This enables us to know our potential advertisers better, whom we could later get in touch with personally.

See below the snapshot of the page on which this ad appeared.

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