Online publishers to debut new advertising formats

A collection of nearly two dozen online publishers plan to offer advertisers at least one of three new display advertising formats beginning in July, the Online Publishers Association announced Tuesday.

The ad units are designed to be larger than banner ads, offer interactivity, and comprise a greater proportion of the advertising-to-editorial ratio that most publications operate under.

The move by online publishers comes at a time when the economy is in a recession and advertisers are pulling back on their spending.

"Agencies are looking for new ways to integrate their clients' brand experiences with more interactivity on the page, and these new units provide a way for them to accomplish this," said Pam Horan, association president, said in a statement.

The nearly two dozen online publishers represent approximately 66 percent of the U.S. Internet audience, according to the association. And they include FOXNews, NBC Universal, CBS Interactive (publisher of CNET News), ESPN, Time Inc., and The Wall Street Journal Digital Network.

The three advertising units include:

A pushdown ad that runs the width of a page but retracts to the top of the page, as well as offering a second ad on the right hand column.

A second ad unit, XXL Box, will feature page-turn functionality, as well as the ability to run video ads on the 468 wide x 648 tall size panel.

The fixed panel ad, 336 wide x 860 tall, remains stationary and users scroll up and down to view the ad.