Virgin pioneers push-down ads in the UK

Virgin Mobile has become the first UK advertiser to use a new online advertising format ââ¬â push-down banners.

Developed by rich-media advertising technology firm Eyeblaster, push-down banners are similar to expandable banners but push page content down, rather than covering it up. Eyeblaster claims push-down banners are less intrusive than pop-ups, but provide greater visual impact than traditional banners.

Virgin Mobile’s Line Rental Rescue Kit campaign will run on Dealtime.co.uk and is aimed at driving visitors to a microsite, linerentalrescue.com, where they will find details of the savings they could make by switching from contract to Virgin’s pay-as-you-go model. The site is also supposed to dispel what Virgin claims are the “myths” surrounding mobile phone contracts and free handsets.

The campaign was planned through Manning Gottlieb OMD, with creative work by Start Creative.