The IAB Launches Revised Ad Unit and Rich Media Creative Guidelines

Business Wire, July 1, 2008

Compliant Companies Receive IAB Seal Recognizing Adherence to Accepted Industry Standards

NEW YORK -- The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) today announced the release of Revised Ad Unit and Rich Media Creative Guidelines. By providing the industry with a common minimum set of creative specifications, these revised guidelines help simplify the online ad buying process.

The guidelines:

* Address minimum guidelines for common ad formats and sizes such as banners and buttons as well as transitional and various over-the-page units such as floating ads, page take-overs and tear-backs;

* Define rich media as separate from basic animated ads by requiring interaction aside from the ability to click-through;

* Cover ads delivered into standard web environments including email and static and dynamic web pages; and

* Update the minimum file sizes of the 2002 Universal Ad Package (found at www.iab.net/UAP)

"These guidelines expand upon the seminal work begun with the Universal Ad Package and give interactive publishers even more opportunity to provide marketers with innovative solutions that engage consumers," said Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO of the IAB. "Publisher compliance with the IAB guidelines sends a clear signal to marketers that the industry is continuing to simplify the ad-buying process."

"The IAB Rich Media and Ad Unit Guidelines are vital to developing consistency within our industry, as well as fostering relationships between publishers and clients regarding creative submission and creative acceptance," said Shell Saras, Creative Services Manager, weather.com. "As an industry, if we focus on adhering to initiatives like these guidelines, marketers and clients will have a creative specification resource that is consistently accepted throughout the marketplace."

Simultaneous with the release of the guidelines, the IAB launched today a compliance program for interactive publishers who adhere to the Rich Media Creative requirements. Publishers will display an IAB Rich Media Creative Compliance Seal on their websites and will also be listed on the IAB website. To date, 32 companies are already compliant with the guidelines. For a complete list of those companies, go to: www.iab.net/Rich_Media_Compliant.> About the IAB:

Founded in 1996, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (www.iab.net) represents over 375 leading interactive companies that actively engage in and support the sale of interactive advertising. IAB members are responsible for selling over 86% of online advertising in the United States. On behalf of its members, the IAB is dedicated to the growth of the interactive advertising marketplace, of interactive's share of total marketing spend, and of its members' share of total marketing spend. The IAB evaluates and recommends standards and practices, fields interactive effectiveness research, and educates marketers, agencies, and media companies, as well as the wider business community, about the value of interactive advertising