The Bannerflow Blog. Tips, tricks, updates, ideas.
(By Tom on 30 October 2008 | Posted in Banner Tips)
The banner ad can be a fickle friend: what seems like a simple, manageable project can often get mired by clicktags, frame rates, file weights and versions of Flash.
Below are some simple tips to keep your banner projects more enjoyable, and much less frustrating.
Download our sample FLA if you’d like to follow along.
CLICKTAGS
By far, the biggest challenge in the banner ad production process is coding the clicktag. Here are some helpful pointers:
- Make sure that your Flash file is being published using ActionScript 2 and you are using a Button symbol. Both of these guidelines are extemely archaic, we know, but most publisher websites do not play nice with AS3.
- Once you’ve created the button properly, it is important to make sure it lays at the _root level of the SWF. Simply enough: do not place the button with your clicktag inside another movieclip.
- Testing your clicktag with your publisher can often be a back-and-forth process between theur team and yours. You can do it yourself — test clicktags with our clicktest tool.
FRAME RATES
Banner ad frame rates are a minor concern, but can affect planning down the road — integrating with rich media providers, for example.
The definition of frame rate can be found here. In our experience, the best frame rate is 18 FPS — which seems to play well in all major browsers.
FILE WEIGHT
File weight (or file size in kilobytes) is the biggest hindrance to creativity. And most publishers have different technical specifications, which makes planning your banner ads even more difficult.
We recommend sticking within the IAB’s guidelines, less than 40k.
FLASH VERSION
Many publishers specs say that you need to conform your ads to Flash 6 — virtually any time you see this it is because the specs are antiquated and haven’t been updated in years.
Flash 8 penetration is at 98.7%, and we recommend using it.
Both Flash 6 through Flash 8 use AS2, but 8’s had much better image manipulation, especially dealing with bitmap transparency.
WHAT DID WE MISS?
Do you have some other thoughts or comments? Leave a comment below, or reach me via Twitter @tbuchok.
(By Tom on 25 October 2008 | Posted in Announcements)
Above you can see the what is regarded as one of the first (if not the first) banner ads. It ran on HotWire on October 25, 1994.
You can read more about the ad here and here.
For the record: the “Have you ever clicked your mouse right HERE?” ad was created for Modem Media/AT&T by TANGENT Design/Communications of Westport, CT.
Principal Creators:
Copy Writer: Joe McCambley, Creative Director, Modem Media
Graphic Design: Craig Kanarick, Associate, TANGENT Design (pre-razorfish)
Executive Producer & Art Director: Otto Timmons, VP, TANGENT Design
Otto Timmons had this to say about the banner ad:
“Although we had the most popular ad on Hotwired (according to Brian and Matt…) there were at least five or six other banner ads that launched at the same time and they too should get credit for being “first”. I can remember Club Med, AT&T, ZIMA. Last but not least, O’Reilly’s Global Network Navigator, GNN, started accepting paid advertising at the same time (one banner ad on the home page, as I recall).”
(By Tom on 23 October 2008 | Posted in Announcements)
Bannerflow has been up for about a week, and we’ve been using it pretty regularly for client projects. We love using it at my agency.
However, since Mike and I invented the darn thing, we’re more than a little tainted in terms of the user experience. So we’d like your help!
Sign up for a FREE Bannerflow account within the next seven days, and we’ll up your client limit to three (3) if you provide us just one bit of feedback. Feedback needs to be sent to our Twitter account, @bannerflow. See? We’re doing you an extra favor by limiting the feedback to 140 characters.
And if you’d like to get in touch with me personally, I’m always available through the comments section of this blog or through @tbuchok on Twitter.
(By Tom on 17 October 2008 | Posted in Announcements)
Mike and I both work in the world of interactive advertising.
And Bannerflow was borne out of our work with advertising agencies. It seems there aren’t enough products aiding the interactive advertising process. We built Bannerflow to simplify banner ad management.
Bannerflow allows you to easily upload banners for client review. Your site, youragency.bannerflow.com, is customizable with your company’s logos and colors. Clients access their campaigns and banner ads through a password-protected, painless login. And you don’t ever have to build a custom HTML display again.
Do we hope to make some money for all the work we put into Bannerflow? Sure. But we understand that "banner ad management software" is at the bottom of the totem pole, and we encourage everyone to start with our Free account. We’re most excited for Bannerflow to pick up steam in the ad community and grow a nice user-base.
Bannerflow is for anyone who concepts, designs or builds banner ads. It is the best way to show banner ads to your clients.
Sign up for a free account.
(By Tom on 9 October 2008 | Posted in Announcements)
Bannerflow is the best way to show clients banner ads.
