3D is no longer a novelty. It’s becoming a way for businesses to share both advertisements and organic content. Case in point: Bing Ads recently teamed with Samsung to create 3D advertisements that display when consumers search for Samsung Galaxy devices on the Bing search engine.
Here’s how it works: an option for a 3D ad appears when an individual (using Bing) searches for the Samsung Galaxy S10 or S9 on their desktop. The ad, which expands to full screen size, can be manipulated by rotating the image, or zooming in on it. But it’s more than a zoom. Consumers see every aspect of the Samsung device plainly, from multiple angles, and can click on an image to access product details.
As Ravleen Beeston, UK head of sales for Microsoft Search Advertising, said in a statement to Netimperative, “These new 3D ads, unique to Bing, herald a new era of search advertising when it comes to displaying products through desktop search since they complement and enhance the experience for consumers looking to engage with a product.”
3D on Facebook
In addition, Facebook has made it possible for both businesses and consumers to post 3D photos, which makes organic content really pop. As discussed in this Digiday article, the 3D photos are “inherently thumb stopping.” If long-form video is showing a decline in effectiveness as attention spans likewise decline, 3D photos promise to be the next frontier. And brands are jumping at the chance to engage consumers in a fresh way. 3D can be especially useful for retailers trying to showcase products that require close inspection—expensive cellphones, for example, or even food. Food delivery service Bite Squad, for one, has capitalized on the opportunity by posting 3D photos, including one of BBQ from Famous Dave’s. “My goal is to catch your eyes as you [are] scrolling your feed,” Craig Key, CMO of Bite Squad, said, adding that just the sudden movement of an image can be a reason for users to scroll back up.
What You Should Do
At True Interactive, we recommend that you constantly look for ways to incorporate technology such as 3D if they are appropriate for your business:
- Understand how 3D might add value to your paid and organic content. Don’t be gimmicky about using 3D. Have a specific goal in mind, such as increasing engagement with your ads, especially for products that require high levels of consideration.
- Be aware of companies such as ThreeKit that provide technologies to help you design advertisements in 3D.
- Work with an agency partner such as True Interactive that knows how to incorporate formats such as 3D into a larger advertising campaign.
Interested in exploring the opportunities inherent in 3D? Call us.
