Google recently launched a new ad format for those business who have video assets and online catalogues.

Called engagement ads, the ads show banner ads on various targeted sites within the Google display network which when hovered on, display video or store catalogues.

Advertisers only pay when users actively engage with the ad by hovering over the ad to activate the catalogue or video. The ads are activated within 2 seconds so you pay after two seconds when someone has started to engage with the ad.

There are two types of formats:

Hover to play which are suitable for advertisers who have video assets
Lightbox which show a large canvas where users can interact with a catalogue or video

Who are engagement ads for?

Engagement ads are suitable for advertisers who are focused on brand goals like brand awareness and who only want to pay when users engage with the ad by hovering over the banner.

By default, they are more likely to be suited for large advertisers who already have existing online video or catalogue assets.

Currently the new ad format is not available for re-marketing. Engagement ads need to be created as a separate campaign.

Examples of engagement ads.

We’ve recently noticed a number of larger advertisers use this new format : – Captain Snooze and Open Colleges.

In this Captain Snooze banner ad, clicking on the image results in a lightbox opening up to showcase a catalogues where users can flick through the pages.