Apple iAD Introduces Ad Units Designed For Brands, Expands To Two More Countries

Apple announced two new ad formats are now supported in the company’s mobile ad platform, iAd. Pre-roll video and full-screen interstitial banner ads with units designed for in-app viewing.

Additionally, the company has expanded the iAd network to Russia and Switzerland, bringing the total number of countries in-network to 16.

When iAd first launched, it was designed to lure big-spending brand advertisers. That didn’t pan out as intended and the platform languished, eventually dropping the minimum ad spend required to use the platform. In April of this year, Apple opened up iAd to small businesses and app developers — anyone with an Apple ID.

At the same time it has been working on efforts to bring brand advertisers into the fold, namely with the video and full-screen ad formats announced today.

It remains to be seen if Apple’s approach to appeal to both big brands and small business can help them cut into the business of the mobile ad leaders, Google and Facebook, to grab more than its current 3 percent share of the mobile ad market, estimated to reach $31.5 billion by 2017, according to eMarketer.