What’s a ‘bad ad’?

Google’s announced that its Chrome browser will have a built in ad blocker for ‘bad ads’ on both desktop and mobile devices from early 2018.

But, what’s a bad ad? Our intern, Shannon, decided to check this out a little and figure out what the heck it means for the creative industry.

“As Chrome is now the most used browser with 47.1% of browser market share, any changes they make to advertising regulations can seriously affect online publishers and brands in relation to the content they create and tools they use. This is in order to achieve adverts that irritate us less when browsing, making for a smoother, more pleasant experience.

The guidelines for what’s classed as a ‘bad ad’ comes from a partnership with Google and the Coalition for Better Ads which aims to improve advertising standards. There are 12 types of ad that currently fall below the initial “better ads standards” on both desktop and mobile ranging from pop-ups to autoplay video ads with sound that never fail to provide surprise and annoyance.

Not only should this inspire better ways of making ads but also generate a less stressful user experience and increase overall ad effectiveness. It could also help users move away from third party ad blockers that block all ads no matter what their quality.

The majority of users block ads on desktop, with the mobile market being underdeveloped, However, through the introduction of ad-blocking extensions switched on as standard (through browsers like Chrome) this will likely have a big impact on the industry and increase issues faced by mobile advertisers.

Google appears to be committed to providing the best possible experience for the user and trying to separate them from third party ad blockers, but only time will tell if this will actually increase the innovation of content and delivery and not have a hindering effect on mobile ad performance.

To find out more about the bad ads category visit here.”