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Interstitials
An interstice refers to a narrow opening. The interstitial advertisement is one that loads in the narrow space between a page being requested and the page being loaded. There are two principal types of interstitial advertisements: the PopUp interstitial and the inline interstitial. Each of them serves a different function, and there are occasions for both to be used in a single download.
The PopUp Interstitial has been used on Netscape's home page, by Hugo Boss, and others as a temporary window that appears while the principal destination loads into memory. The inline interstitial generally occurs in immersive environments, such as Shockwave, Java, or VRML. Inline interstitials often provide game-play information, as well as advertisement opportunities, where PopUp interstitials are more typically intended for advertisement purposes alone.
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PopUp Interstitials |
The PopUp is presently the most popular form of interstitial. It is activated when a person first arrives at a Web destination. A small window pops up, advertising a product or service, while the principal destination page loads in the background. Most of these close themselves, although this is not always the case.
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Image & Animated Image PopUp Interstitials
These examples use jpeg, gif, and animated gif images to advertise the identified brand while the sites listed beneath them load in the main window.
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Flash PopUp Interstitials
Macromedia's Flash 2 technology is used in these Blue Platypus interstitials to keep visitors occupied while loading the websites listed below each.
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FORMATS
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GIF, JPEG, Flash, Shockwave, Java, others
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PROS
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Advertiser knows that the ad will be seen as the most prominent item in a window. Can be inocuous and clever when brief and self-closing.
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CONS
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Some visitors really resent the intrusiveness of PopUp ads. It can be difficult to convince a Web site to host a PopUp ad, due to JavaScript and other considerations.
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Inline Interstitials |
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Inline Interstitials are most typically found in immersive media, such as Shockwave or Java. Immersive environments contain large files that take considerable download time. Fortunately, each of these environment types provides a method to display images and sounds while loading the principal files into memory. During the preload of the larger files, smaller applets or movies keep the visitor's attention. Their content is usually related to the prinicipal file; either as game rules, storyboard, or preview images. This is also a place where advertisement can occur in the form of the inline interstitial.
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The example here requires the Macromedia Shockwave for Director plugin. The principal movie is a multiplayer, animated surfing game, which is 640Kb (kilobytes) in size. With a 28.8Khz modem, this will take over 3 minutes to download. The inline interstitial describes game play for the visitor and provides interactivity, such as rollover and click events to keep the visitor occupied.
Click here to surf the BIG WAVES!
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FORMATS
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Shockwave, Java, VRML, Flash, others
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PROS
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Inline interstitial advertisements provide opportunities to use animation or interactivity to sell products and services to consumers while their attention is focused on the computer during the download. The positive experience associated with the game will reflect on the advertiser.
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CONS
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Narrower target than banner ads. Difficult to find the right opportunities for sponsorship.
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Related forms of Web advertising include popups, interactive product placement, and webfomercials.
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