In a first for search advertising, Samsung has begun running a 3D ad format on Bing.com to promote the new Galaxy S10 phone.
Full screen ads in search results. The format is the result of months of coordination between Bing, Samsung and agency Performics, a unit of Starcom. The ads display in desktop search, exclusively on Bing. when users search for the Samsung Galaxy S10 or Samsung S9. The 3D unit expands the size of the screen and users can interact with it by rotating and zooming in on the product image to explore features. Users can also click on an image to see product details about the device.
Paul Kasamias, managing partner at Starcom, noted the need for brands to try new things to stand out in a competitive search landscape.
“These new 3D ads, unique to Bing, herald a new era of search advertising when it comes to displaying products through desktop search since they complement and enhance the experience for consumers looking to engage with a product,” Ravleen Beeston, UK head of sales for Microsoft Search Advertising, in a statement to Netimperative, which first reported on the new ads.
“Working with Bing Ads on this industry-shifting format has enabled us to bridge the gap between the digital and offline worlds; the Galaxy S10 is a device which needs to be seen to be experienced,” said Michael Durey, performance marketing lead at Samsung. “With these new 3D ads, we are bringing the in-store experience of getting hands-on with a device to the digital domain, allowing consumers to explore the Samsung Galaxy S10 and its features in all its glory no matter where they are.”
Why you should care. Ads in search have been getting bigger and bigger, with more characters for text ads, larger Shopping ad units and the search engines are constantly testing brand new formats. In 2013, both Google and Bing tested out giant banner ads for a short time. Google is currently testing an expansion of its large image-driven ad format first developed for automotive advertisers.
We haven’t been able to trigger the ads, and Bing is staying quiet. “We’re constantly updating and testing new features as part of our goal to provide the best user experience, and have nothing further to share at this time,” a Microsoft spokesperson offered.
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.