The Mad Men of Mountain View are testing out a new ad format. Since July, Google has been experimenting with new social ads custom built for Gmail — allowing you to send, save and interact with the new ad units. In our very own beta testing of the Gmail ads, which will be powered by Google AdWords, we found the experience to be clever and effective. On the right side of the Gmail screen, a branded box appears with an envelope icon – breaking through the clutter of the typical AdWord text link.
Once you click on the email icon or ad, you’re driven to a large ad message in your inbox. From there, you can click through to the advertiser’s website, save the ad, forward or dismiss it.
The new ad units are certainly a defensive move against Facebook’s interactive ads and sponsored stories. After the beta, we also expect the Gmail interactive ads to be added to Goggle+ — where users will be able to “plus” and share ads – and spam your circles.
In reaching out to Google, a Google spokesperson shared in a statement that the new ad format is an “experiment” that is not available to all advertisers. They would not divulge participating advertisers, but the Google spokesperson did state that the ads units were custom created for Gmail:
“The ads are designed specifically for Gmail and look and function a little differently from regular text ads. The new format allows people to interact with ads within Gmail and is the latest example of our efforts to make ads more useful and relevant.”
Indeed, the new Gmail ad units will be more relevant and useful – especially for advertisers. Under new CEO Larry Page, Google is certainly being aggressive with clever and social ideas.
