Greystripe enables flash ads on iPhone, iPad

By Rimma Kats

March 31, 2010

An Axe Flash ad

Greystripe will let advertisers deliver Flash creatives on the iPhone and iPad via its much-anticipated iFlash ad units, which launch in May.

The company claims that its results show iFlash outperforms Web advertising. The technology uses Flash and transcodes it to run on the iPhone and iPad.

"Greystripe's strategy is to offer advertisers the ability to extend their Flash creatives across all digital mediums, including the iPhone and iPad, by providing a scalable and seamless platform,” said Michael Chang, CEO at Greystripe, San Francisco.

Greystripe is a mobile advertising network, which delivers brand advertising to mobile applications across iPhone, Android and over 1400 Java feature phones. 

Mobile flash
According to the company, since the recent introduction of the iPad, the line between mobile phones and the PC is blurred and advertisers have an increasing need to leverage the same creatives across digital mediums.

The iFlash ad units offer advertisers an automated platform for delivering its existing IAB standard Flash creatives on the iPhone and iPad, Greystripe claims.

“Advertisers using Greystripe's proprietary iFlash technology see higher performance compared to the same online campaigns, with average CTRs well above 1 percent,” Mr. Chang said.

A recent comScore survey showed that iFlash ad campaigns outperform online campaigns. ComScore found:

•       Total awareness of brand: 10.4 percent lift with iFlash ads on the Greystripe network versus 2.0 percent lift from online

•       Awareness of ad: 23.3 percent lift with iFlash ads on the Greystripe network versus 3.0 percent point lift from online

•       Likelihood to recommend brand: 3.4 percent point lift with iFlash ads on the Greystripe network versus 1.0 percent point lift from online

Here is an example of a flash ad:

Key study
Currently, HP, Burger King, Axe, Dunlop and LeapFrog are using the iFlash technology.

“The key finding included that all brands – Axe, Burger King and HP – saw impressive lifts in awareness of brand, awareness of mobile ads, intent to purchase, and intent to recommend,” Mr. Chang said. “The mobile iFlash campaigns outperformed online norms in all of these metrics as well.”  

“We were pleasantly surprised that our iFlash ad units were so successful with all verticals,” he said. “ComScore has now run studies of iFlash ad units in our network for campaigns for a major auto company, a top CPG company, a top QRS brand and a leading technology company and in every case we’ve seen impressive lifts across all metrics.

“The message for us and our advertisers is that iFlash ads are a perfect mobile solution for any brand.”