EyeWonder Adds Two Video Features

Video ad enabler EyeWonder rolled out two new features: an “expand to full screen” button letting surfers more deeply engage with an online ad, and a gizmo that causes a video banner to shake, flip or rotate at initiation of video play. The enhancements are called “eyeMax” and “Movers and Shakers,” respectively.

EyeMax lets advertisers enable site visitors to expand in-banner video ads to cover the entire screen. The feature is sensitive to each user’s connection speed. It won’t offer the full-screen option to dial-up users. Competitor Klipmart already offers a similar capability.

Movers and Shakers lets the advertiser build an attention-grabbing movement into the banner ad, making video content “tilt, resize, shake, flip or float” according to the company, prior to playing the video. VP of Marketing Jason Scheidt said part of the reason for the enhancement is clients are increasingly concerned Web users tune out in-banner video ads. Adding a brief sense of movement to an ad unit can help re-capture that attention.

“This just helps to draw another layer of initial engagement to that ad, to hopefully draw more eyeballs and increase length of view, and to increase interaction with the brand,” said Scheidt.