What are the most Popular Desktop Digital Ad Types?

In our last Digital Nugget post, we introduced the different specification categories that are used in digital display advertising to define various ad types. Over the course of the next several posts, we will discuss which combinations of these specs, or ad types, are popular on different platforms.

Today, we will start with the Universal Ad Package, which consists of the five most popular and basic ad types for the desktop. If you are looking to venture into digital display advertising, these five ads are a great place to start. Let’s take a look at each of them:

Medium Rectangle

Like the name implies, this ad type is a medium-sized rectangle, with dimensions of 300 x 250 pixels. With a maximum file size of 200 KB, these ads perform best when embedded within or at the very end of the content.

Rectangle

With dimensions of 180 x 150 pixels, this ad type is also commonly known as a “small rectangle.” It has a maximum file size of 80 KB and fits perfectly into smaller spaces.

Half Page

Appropriately named, this 300 x 600 pixels ad type is perfect for a company that wants a lot of space to catch the attention of visitors to make a lasting impression. It has a maximum file size of 200KB and works best with ads that feature a great combination of text and images.

Wide Skyscraper

Similar to the skyscrapers seen in the New York City skyline, this ad type is tall, yet wide enough to provide a quality amount of information. With dimensions of 160 x 600 pixels and a maximum file size of 200 KB, ads of this type are ideal to feature in the sidebars of webpages in a vertical manner.

Leaderboard

Contrary to the Wide Skyscraper, this ad type is short and long, measuring at 728 x 90 pixels. It has a maximum file size of 200KB, and is most successful when featured at the very top of content, in a horizontal manner.

Additional important, shared specifications

While the ad types listed above may have different dimensions and maximum file sizes, they all share some similar specs. In all of these ad types, it is recommended that animations do not exceed 15 seconds in length. For more technical users, all five types have a Z-index range of 0-4,999.

For more information on desktop display ads, check out the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s website.

About LiftEngine

Since 2005, LiftEngine's primary mission has been to help clients better understand and connect with their most responsive prospects and customers, online or offline. Our expertise is behind the marketing campaigns of 400+ clients.

Behind LiftEngine is LiftBase, our proprietary addressable consumer database. Comprised of 250 million US consumers, 140 million US households, and 1,000+ enhanced data elements, LiftBase powers our audience development services and industry-leading products, PortalLink and LaunchPad.

Let's connect today!