Microsoft Unveils New Ad Solution For Windows 8 Apps, Aimed At Brands

In an effort to lure more brand advertisers to Windows 8, the company has introduced a new Ads In Apps solution called Ad Pano.

The new solution came out of Microsoft’s partnership with creative agencies — including AKQA, Big Spaceship, Razorfish, Team Detroit, UM and Y&R — to develop brand-safe, rich media advertising environments and opportunities within Windows 8 apps.

The Ad Pano format “gives advertisers unlimited storytelling potential to customize their ad experience to deliver an interactive, immersive, panoramic ad experience comparable to a magazine fold-out,” says Jennifer Creegan, general manager for display advertising experiences at Microsoft Advertising.

Toyota, an early adopter of ads in Apps for Windows 8, was among the first advertisers to use the Ad Pano.

The format offers an optional active anchor ad experience, which with a series of 15 images can simulate video. The format can be scaled across all first-party apps for Windows 8 – including Bing, Xbox, and Skype – and apps that integrate the Microsoft Advertising SDK for Windows 8. It is currently available in the US and the UK, with additional markets coming.

Creegan says, “Ads in Apps for Windows 8 is delivering on our promise to strengthen the bond between brands and consumers without intruding or becoming an annoyance in the process.”As for the ads’ effectiveness, according to Nielsen research commissioned by Microsoft, nearly 60 percent of people perceived the brands as “innovative, cutting edge and trustworthy”.

Over 100 million Windows 8 licenses have been sold to date, according to Creegan.