Apple today announced it will debut its iAd mobile advertising
network on July 1 on iPhone and iPod touch devices running its iOS 4
software platform. iAds combine the emotion of TV advertising with the
interactivity of Internet advertising, giving advertisers a dynamic and
powerful new way to bring motion and emotion to mobile users. iAd will
kick off with mobile ad campaigns from leading global brands including
AT&T, Best Buy, Campbell Soup Company, Chanel, Citi, DirecTV, GEICO,
GE, JCPenney, Liberty Mutual Group, Nissan, Sears, State Farm, Target,
Turner Broadcasting System, Unilever and The Walt Disney Studios. Apple
has iAd commitments for 2010 totaling over $60 million, which represents
almost 50 percent of the total forecasted US mobile ad spending for the
second half of 2010.
“iAd offers advertisers the emotion of TV with the interactivity of the
web, and offers users a new way to explore ads without being hijacked
out of their favorite apps,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “iAds will
reach millions of iPhone and iPod touch users—a highly desirable
demographic for advertisers—and provide developers a new way to earn
money so they can continue developing free and low cost applications.”
“iAd will allow Citi to reach millions of people on their iPhone and
iPod touch,” said Lisa Caputo, executive vice president and CMO,
Citigroup. “iAd gives us a remarkable level of creativity for creating
ads to connect with our current and future customers in a more
interactive style than ever before.”
“iAd is going to revolutionize mobile advertising,” said Rob Master,
North American media director, Unilever. “With iAd, we’ve been able to
create some of our most powerful and compelling ads ever. iAd is the
perfect mobile format to reach and engage with our customers.”
iAd, which is built into iOS 4, allows users to stay within their app
while engaging with the ad, even while watching a video, playing a game
or using in-ad purchase to download an app or buy iTunes content.
Developers who join the iAd Network can easily incorporate a variety of
advertising formats into their apps. Apple will sell and serve the ads,
and developers will receive an industry-standard 60 percent of the iAd
Network revenue, which is paid via iTunes Connect.
iAds require iOS 4, which will be a free software update via iTunes 9.2
or later for iPhone and iPod touch customers. iOS 4 will work with
iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and second and third generation iPod
touch (late 2009 models with 32GB or 64GB).
