Google has launched a new format for AdWords advertisers: Gadget Ads.
Gadget Ads are an interactive ad unit that will appear on sites in the AdSense content network. Gadget ads can include things like data feeds, images, or video and can be developed using Flash, HTML or a combination of the two. They support both cost-per-click (CPC) and cost-per-impression (CPM) pricing models, and offer a variety of contextual, site, geographic and demographic targeting options.
The units are a clear attempt to woo more brand advertisers to Google’s platform. To help in that regard, Google has also hired Andy Berndt as managing director of a new “Creative Lab,” according to a Wall Street Journal report. Berndt was most recently co-president of Ogilvy & Mather’s New York office. The New York-based Lab will look for ways to work more closely with traditional agencies, according to the report.
While the move may seem like a push into the agency business, a spokesperson told ClickZ News that was not the case: “We are not in any way setting up our own agency. We want to be very clear about that.”