Expandable Ads - An Overview

Advertisers use expandable rich media formats to expand an ad creative into a larger creative upon a user mouse-over or click interaction. The most common implementations expand leader board creatives vertically into larger rectangles (i.e. expand from a 90 pixel height to a 500 pixel height) or expand 250x300 rectangle creatives horizontally into larger rectangles (i.e. expand from a 300 pixel width to a 600 pixel width). Many other implementations are also possible with the expandable ad format.

Benefits of Expandable Ads

• Provide more ad space to share interactive experiences and information with the advertiser's audience.
• Support the inclusion of any number of rich media features, including video within a single ad unit.
• Allow advertisers to measure the number of ad expansions and the amount of time the ad is expanded, in addition to common measurements included in all Mediaplex rich media ad formats.

Troubleshooting Tips 

• "wmode" setting must be either "opaque" or "transparent" since the Flash ad needs to be displayed within a window mode (opaque or transparent). The default setting (leave wmode as empty) will lay-over the main content and it's not the expected outcome.

• If multiple expandable ads are on a single page, you need to use distinctive DIV containers so they are not in conflict with each other
• The default value for "allowScriptAccess" has changed since Flash 8. You need "allowScriptAccess" to be "always" so that the JavaScript method is called properly.
• Since we set wmode to "transparent", if your Flash file has a transparent background, the CSS for the container can set a specific background color. You can use "opaque" wmode to maintain the Flash background.
• If you need technical assistance with the HTML/JavaScript code for an expandable ad, please open a new ticket with the ad name/ID in your account.

Google Display Network expandable ad specs

Maximum Expansion size: 

1. For 728x90 - can expand up to 728x180
2. For 160x600 - Can expand up to 320x600
3. For 300x250 - Can expand up to 600x260

Expansion Direction: Multi-directional expansion (MDE) to expand up or down

Expansion Method: Expand – On click and Close – On click

Maximum initial load: 50K

Max size per panel: 200K

Max Polite load: 2.2MB

Required control: Panels must contain a prominent Close X in 16pt font or larger on the corner of the unit

Audio Requirement: User-Initiated

Animation Restriction: User-initiated action must be 30 seconds or less (2 mins if video)

Other specifications:

1. Availability - Expandable ads are currently available to select advertisers with North American account managers.
2. Expansion Direction - Depending on its placement on a given page, the ad must be built as a multi-directional ad unit, designed to expand either left/right or up/down on-click. The ad may not expand in two directions at the same time.
3. Approved Expandable Vendors - DoubleClick Rich Media, EyeBlaster Rich Media, EyeWonder Rich Media, Pointroll Rich Media
4. Tags - Use JavaScript tags, not iframe tags.
5. Other Spec Notes - No restrictions on hot spots.

Source: www.adspeed.com, support.google.com and www.mojorichmedia.com