AOL introduces BrandBuilder, a suite of goal-based ad programs and new ad formats

AOL introduced a suite of new ad format programs under the umbrella name BrandBuilder at CES in Las Vegas on Thursday. The new programs — Director, Buyer and Beta — included in BrandBuilder serve as the starting point for advertisers based on their campaign goals.

The Director program includes a variety of formats aimed at building brand awareness, while the Buyer program is aimed at driving direct response actions such as clicks to shop, see store locations or email signups. Rather than cherry-picking through AOL’s entire catalog of supported ad formats, advertisers start the buying process by selecting one of the programs.

The formats in Director and Buyer can include mobile, video, rich media and desktop and can run across AOL publishers, including TechCrunch, Engadget, Autoblog, Kanvas, MAKERS, HuffPost RYOT  and Moviefone. The purpose is to simplify how brands and advertisers buy and serve ad experiences.

Beta is a kind of incubator program for brands to collaborate with AOL on new formats. DataPerks and Player Up are the first two formats to launch as part of BrandBuilder Beta. DataPerks ads give Verizon Wireless customers incentive to take action on an ad (for example, download a coupon) in exchange for additional wireless plan data. It will be available in the first quarter of this year in the US. Player Up is positioned as an pre-roll alternative. The first iteration is the result of a collaboration with eBay and includes short 3-to-7-second video ads shown as bumpers, overlays in place of publisher watermarks or when a user clicks the pause button. Player Up formats are now available in the US, the UK and Canada.

“Through AOL’s BrandBuilder Beta program, we became an architect and helped shape a truly unique experience that is less intrusive and more relevant to our consumers. As brands, we’re only as successful as our customers are happy, and programs like these are what help us continue building a brand people love,” said Olivier Ropars, Senior Director of Global Internet Marketing at eBay in a statement.