First Apple iAds Hit the iPhone [Video]
Ads for Unilever's Dove brand and Nissan's Leaf model are first to appear on Apple's iAd mobile advertising platform.
Ads for Unilever's Dove brand and Nissan's Leaf model are first to appear on Apple's iAd mobile advertising platform.
Following the official launch of Apple’s iAd mobile advertising platform on July 1st, ad units for Unilver’s Dove brand and Nissan’s Leaf model have now begun appearing in some ad-supported iPhone applications running on the new iPhone OS 4.0.
Dove’s Men+Care ads showcase branded content featuring pro-baseball players Albert Pujols and Andy Pettitte. In addition, they allow users to browse Dove’s range of Men+Care products and offer them the chance to win signed baseballs.
View a ClickZ demo of the live iAd here:
Rob Candelino, a U.S. marketing director focused on Unilever’s personal wash products, said his company worked closely with Apple to determine how and where to best reach its target audience, coupling iTunes usage data with Unilever’s own research. It will target applications in the news, sports and music categories, he said.
Candelino also offered some insights into Apple’s involvement in the creative process, since it’s handling production for the first wave of ads to ensure quality control. “We worked very closely with Apple to brief them on the inspiration behind the ‘Journey to Comfort’ campaign and our target consumer,” he said. “From the beginning, this was a collaborative process between Unilever creative, our digital agency Ryan Partnership, and Apple’s creative and technology teams,” he said.
Meanwhile, Nissan’s Leaf ad has also gone live across the iAd network, and encourages users to explore the features and benefits of its 100 percent electric Leaf model through a range of interactive elements and video content. The ad makes use of the iPhone’s inbuilt accelerometer, allowing users to shake the handset to view different color options and encouraging them to submit their contact details for further information. According to Apple CEO Steve Jobs, the Leaf will initially only be available to users who register through the iAd.
Alongside Dove and Nissan, Apple announced that Best Buy, Campbell’s Soup, Chanel, Citi, DirecTV, GEICO, GE and Walt Disney have signed up as launch advertisers for the platform. The amounts they each paid remain unknown, but agency sources reported that Apple asked as much as $10 million for early ad placements, sold on a $10 CPM basis coupled with a $2 click-through charge.