In Your Face Web Ads Will Probably Increase With Recession
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Okay, let's talk about ads on the web. More and more, they're right in your face. As CNN's Bruce Francis reports, advertisers are going far beyond asking for your attention, they're hijacking it.</s>BRUCE FRANCIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Some find them annoying. Some may even find them titillating. But these days, you find them everywhere -- pop-up and pop-under ads. Unlike a banner ad, these force you to look at them. The X-10 video camera ads are the most common. From almost no hits at this time last year, they soared to 40 million hits at their peak.</s>STEVEN KIM, JUPITER MEDIA MATRIX: When you look at the statistics beyond that, how long did people spend at that site, how often do they come back -- you know, are they really using the site, the numbers are pretty weak.</s>FRANCIS: But pop-ups are tame compared to the latest wave of web ads that are taking over your computer screen. This ad for "Planet of the Apes" is just one of many ads from Agency.com that push way beyond the banner. The latest: a screen-spinning new promotion for British Airways. You can't miss it, even if you'd rather.</s>KULE SHANNON, AGENCY.COM: Companies, in facing a slowing economy, are looking at, how do we sell more stuff, how do we drive more sales? So marketers need to find ways to rise above the noise in order to sell more things.</s>FRANCIS (on camera): Advertisers are experimenting with new technologies, too. And they're more and more willing to jump in between you and what you're looking for on the web. (voice-over): United Virtualities has signed up advertisers like P&G; for its animations superimposed over a web page. Up to eight seconds worth each. But is that too much?</s>DEB BROWN, UNIVERSAL VIRTUALITIES: I guess my answer to that is, hello, this is advertising. And, basically, what our charter is, is to capture a consumer's attention, be relevant and make the brand voice come through.</s>FRANCIS: And as the recession and ad spending continues, you can bet on more interruptions. Or, as the industry likes to call them, innovations, in the months ahead. Bruce Francis, CNN Financial News, New York.</s>COSTELLO: Well, that's right, they call them innovations. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com