Google Display & Video 360 is testing two new rich media, interactive display ad formats.
Swirl. The swirl display ad format incorporates 3D assets, using the 3D/Swirl component in Google Web Designer. With a new editor coming to Google’s 3D platform Poly, marketers can edit and build 3D assets for these display ads.
Users can rotate a 3D object and zoom in and out within the ad. Guerlain is among the brands in the beta test.
Extend YouTube live streams. A live stream format allows brands to extend the reach of branded live stream content from YouTube to native display ads using a new template in Google Web Designer. The ad units feature standard YouTube controls for watching, pausing and sharing. The live stream ad test is available across screens and devices.
Why we should care. Google has been relatively slow to offer immersive display ad experiences like the swirl format. Companies such as Advertas, Omnivirt, PadSquad and Vertebrae have been offering 360-degree, AR and other interactive ad experiences for some time. But with updates to its developer platform ARCore and new Poly editor, which will be available for brands and advertisers this summer, Google is making a push to expand AR and interactive capabilities to its content and advertising offerings.
About The Author
Ginny Marvin is Third Door Media’s Editor-in-Chief, managing day-to-day editorial operations across all of our publications. Ginny writes about paid online marketing topics including paid search, paid social, display and retargeting for Search Engine Land, Marketing Land and MarTech Today. With more than 15 years of marketing experience, she has held both in-house and agency management positions. She can be found on Twitter as @ginnymarvin.