THE RISE OF ANIMATED HTML5 BANNERS IN DIGITAL ADVERTISING

Before HTML5 banners hit the scene in 2008, a lot had happened in the world of digital advertising. Let’s dive in!

Have you heard the old saying that "a picture is worth a thousand words"? Well, it may sound like a cliché, but in marketing and advertising, it is the gospel truth. It is attributed to Frederick R. Barnard, an English illustrator and caricaturist, who about a century ago published an article on the effectiveness of graphics in promotional campaigns and product awareness. Now, imagine the impact of animated and video banners when it comes to the kingdom of digital advertising. They must be worth at least a million!

When running digital campaigns, skilful marketers have always used powerful visual communication techniques with the sole purpose of getting the consumer’s attention and telling them about a product or service. The first-ever example dates back to 1994 when the world’s first banner ad was published. With its whooping 44% click-through rate, it was a total game changer starting a digital advertising revolution. Naturally, with technological advancement and faster internet speed, new animated and more eye-catching formats appeared. Yes, we are talking about animated GIFs, Flash and HTML5 banners.

Animated banners are the ultimate attention-grabbers. Being able to show multiple pictures in a limited time, makes them great at storytelling and getting the message across. The science behind this fact is that our brains are wired to love visual stimuli and our eyes are naturally drawn to movement and color. This is what sparks people’s curiosity and gets them to click on the banner. No wonder why marketers just love using them!

Find out how you can create your own HTML5 banner campaign on Streameye’s platform.

The animated banner evolution: From animated GIFs to HTML5

1. Animated GIF banners came after the static ads. GIF stands for Graphic Interchange Format. GIF banners have the .gif extension and can be either static or animated. Because of their nature, they are the middle ground between static and video. Animated GIF banners are composed of a number of images (frames) that create a sense of motion when exported. Compared to videos in terms of size, animated GIF banners are smaller but still offer dynamic elements. The first-ever GIF was introduced in 1987 by CompuService, a major US online commercial service company. Since then, they have been a popular choice for many marketers when crafting their digital campaigns. You can read more about the history of GIF banners here.

2. Flash hit the digital marketing scene in 1999. The format was released by Macromedia (later acquired by Adobe) and quickly became the go-to choice for online marketers due to its ability to facilitate video streaming and enhance ad quality. They brought to the table many new features such as interactivity and gaming content. However, over time, Flash ads lost traction. For what reason you may ask? Well, Flash technology is vulnerable to security attacks. Many hackers have taken advantage of this fact to get access to sensitive personal data or spread malware. For this reason, many internet browsers and advertising platforms stopped supporting Flash banners. In addition, they are not supported on mobile devices, take longer to load and require a third-party extension to even open the ad.

3. HTML5 banners are the next iteration of animated online ads. Similar to Flash, they provide interactive and feature-rich options but without the need for extra software or compatibility concerns across different browsers and devices. HTML5 banners have long replaced Flash and are soon to do the same with animated GIFs. They are smaller in size and at the same time you can embed Rich Media features thanks to the fact that HTML5 ads also use CSS and Javascript. This means that you can add diverse audio and video content, and interactive elements, such as clickable buttons, hover effects, puzzles and form fields.

Even though they do not require expert coding skills, HTML5 banners can be a bit tricky to create. This is why we created our creative management platform. With Streameye you can get all the benefits of HTML5 banners, without having to write a single line of code. Why wait any longer? Take advantage of our platform, add a pinch of animation and sprinkle some color. Leave a lasting impression on your target audience with your custom-made HTML5 banners.

Our platform offers a user-friendly interface, ready-to-use templates, and even a branded asset gallery. Your marketing team can create your new online marketing campaign in minutes. Streameye helps you stay ahead of the competition while keeping your audience engaged.

Don’t just blind-trust us. Book a demo and try it yourself!