Fairfax Media metro division launches the Big Unit
Fairfax Media Metro Division launches “the Big Unit”, an online advertising solution that provides advertisers with a web page with complete functionality built into it allowing consumers to watch videos or download images within the ad. The product is similar to AOL’s Project Devil, launched last year in the US.
The announcement:
January 30, 2012: In an Australian first, Fairfax Media Metro Division has launched a powerful new online advertising solution designed to deliver better results for advertisers and an improved web experience for Fairfax online audiences.
Called the Big Unit, the initiative enables advertisers to own a web page with a large-format ad which, for the first time, has complete functionality built into it, allowing consumers to watch videos or download images from within the ad while never leaving the web page they are viewing.
For advertisers, the key benefits of the Big Unit are its ability to drive maximum branding impact by allowing prominence of the advertising message while also providing a larger canvas for creativity and deep audience engagement via content such as social and signup tools, videos, photo galleries & interactive maps.
For consumers, the Big Unit means dramatically reduced clutter on the web page, a more streamlined appearance and easy, user-friendly advertising interaction.
“The Big Unit is a powerful new solution for our major advertisers and has already delivered strong results for key clients who have used the product prior to its official launch in February,” said Ed Harrison, Commercial Director, Fairfax Metro Media.
“This initiative is another demonstration of how Fairfax champions the development of new technology and advertising opportunities that enable brands to engage more effectively with consumers.”
Major advertisers which have either already executed or committed to campaigns using the Big Unit include Tourism Queensland, Nestle (Toddlers Milk and Milo) and Samsung.
Tige Simmons, Digital Marketing Manager, Tourism Queensland, said: “The Big Unit worked very effectively for our recent ‘Vitamin Me’ Queensland campaign. The size and functionality of the ad unit made it possible to convey various different messages in one ad format. All of the different components utilised a unique call to an action URL to land the consumer on relevant content.”
Julie Chapman, Senior Brand Manager, Nestle Toddlers Milk, said: “The Big Unit allows us to showcase all our campaign offerings within one space which traditional banner advertising does not.”
The Big Unit, which is similar to AOL’s Project Devil launched last year in the US, features technology developed in-house by Fairfax Media’s Digital Innovations and Technical Operations teams, and delivers a substantially improved reach and cost-efficiency model for advertisers compared with the US version.
“We have ensured that the Big Unit has been developed so it can run across our vast digital network. By offering our advertisers the ability to reach large targeted audiences, Big Unit helps yield more value for their investment,” Harrison said.
Source: Fairfax Media press release
