PointRoll debuts rich media units for mobiles

Rich media has reached mobile. This week PointRoll, a rich media ad provider, partnered with USA Today to debut a new offering: rich media mobile ads. PointRoll serves more than 70 billion rich media impressions yearly.

by Kristina Knight

The ad units are expandable. Once users engage with the ads, there are click to play options as well as downloads for coupons and even map links to Google Maps. Users can also choose click to call options from the rich media ads.

The first campaigns feature the Ford Flex automobile and the George Clooney movie "Burn After Reading".

"The new Ford Flex marketing campaign is all about engaging consumers in the most relevant and technologically advanced way possible. Mobile is the most interactive way of engaging potential and existing customers, and we are excited to provide wireless devices with the same rich media advertising capabilities that we currently use online," said Usha Raghavachari, Ford Communications Manager.

The ads are being served on Apple's iPhone.

Although rich media ads are likely the future of mobiles, they are still somewhat experimental because most consumers still prefer text message ads. According to a recent report from Strategy Analytics, mobile messaging is expected to increase to $88 billion by 2012. In 2007, mobile messaging brought in about $65 billion.