IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE. Ads for Flash. Rich Media Ads for Flash Sites. January For more information, please contact

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1 IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE Ads for Flash Rich Media Ads for Flash Sites January 2008 For more information, please contact

2 Disclaimer This Implementation Guide is for informational purposes only. ZEDO MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT. The information contained in this document represents the current view of ZEDO Inc. as of the date of publication. ZEDO cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information presented after the date of publication. Complying with all applicable copyright laws is the responsibility of the user. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), or for any purpose, without the express written permission of ZEDO Inc. ZEDO may have patents, patent applications, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property rights covering subject matter in this document. Except as expressly provided in any written license agreement from ZEDO, the furnishing of this document does not give the user any license to these patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property. Unless otherwise noted, the example companies, organizations, products, domain names, addresses, logos, people, places and events depicted herein are fictitious, and no association with any real company, organization, product, domain name, address, logo, person, place or event is intended or should be inferred. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners ZEDO Inc. All rights reserved. Copyright 2008 ZEDO Inc. Page 2 of 11

3 Contents Introduction... 4 All Ads for All Media... 4 Functional Specifications... 4 Application Scenarios... 5 Use Case 1: Better Ad option for Publishers... 5 Use Case 2: Video ads with Flash content... 6 How it Works... 7 Step 1: Create Channel... 8 Step 2: Create Ad... 8 Step 3: Generate Ad Tag... 9 Step 4: Place Ad Tag within Main Flash Content Step 5: Insert the Flash Code in the Web Page Summary Company Overview Copyright 2008 ZEDO Inc. Page 3 of 11

4 Introduction ZEDO Ads for Flash enables Ad Marketers to serve ads inside flash-only web sites. Flash-based web sites, Flash video players and Flash Applications are rapidly gaining popularity among Web Publishers to deliver media to users. Given the growing inclination of online consumers to consume flash based content, it has become imperative to deliver effective interactive solutions for Web Publishers to offer to their clients. ZEDO offers Ads for Flash, a high-end adserving solutions that enables Publishers to serve rich media ads on their web sites without compromising on any of the key aspects of advertising such as impressions control, frequency control and ad targeting. This guide outlines the scope of the application for Ads for Flash application and explain its functional capabilities and basic setup instructions. While the guide is designed for ZEDO Publishers, it may serve as a basic guide for Advertisers and Ad Networks. Publishers need to have a good understanding of Action Script and HTML to implement the instructions given in the manual. All Ads for All Media With Internet speed no longer an issue, the number of Flash-based web sites, Flash video players and Flash Applications has grown rapidly over the past few years especially in online games, entertainment and online video sharing. ZEDO s Ads for Flash feature answers the demands of Advertiser and Publisher for a coherent, single ad management solution by extending ZEDO s leading Ad Serving solution into a flash-based environment. With Ads for Flash, Publishers can serve all types of traditional as well as Rich Media ad formats inside a flash environment. Publishers can also optimize the ads and use all targeting options offered by ZEDO. Functional Specifications This specification describes the functionality of ZEDO Ads for Flash feature and the considerations which governed its design. Functional Capabilities: Ads inside Flash sites and applications. You will be able to integrate within several types of ads within your flash content. You can also display ads flash-based video players. ZEDO also allows you to optimize ads, set impression and frequency limits, and target ads based on demographic details country-based, geographic locations, keywords used and day/time of the visit. Ability to support multiple file formats. You can display image files such as JPG, GIF (non-animated) and PNG, and flash files such as SWF and FLV. In addition to the file upload option, the ZEDO System also supports use of Redirect URL. The ZEDO System will retrieve an ad directly from the specified online location and display it provided the targeted file is in an acceptable format. Ability to support pre-roll, post-roll and mid-roll ads. For Flash video ads, ads can be displayed before, after or in between the content. For pre- Copyright 2008 ZEDO Inc. Page 4 of 11

5 roll ad, you need to place the Ad Tag script on the first frame, where as for a post-roll ad, you need to place it on the last frame. In case of Mid-roll ad, the Ad Tag script needs to be placed anywhere between the first and last frame. Once the ad is finished playing, ZEDO System passes the control back to the main movie. This is achieved by using handlevideocomplete() function. However, the functions need to be added to your main code in order to swap control from the ad back to the main content. Prerequisites: Ads For Flash needs to be enabled for your network. The Channel in which ads are targeted must be set to Flash enabled. At least one Ad must be targeted to the flash enabled Child channel in order for the channel promotion (from flash-enabled Parent channel to the flash-enabled Child channel) to work. Constraints: Ads served inside Flash can not be associated with Channel within a Channel Set. Animated GIFs are converted into a static image comprised of the first frame and thus looses all animation. The %t (timestamp) and %r (random numbers) macro passed in the Click through URL in the Create Ad screen is not supported. Important Note: The following are known issues with the Ads for Flash product, which will be addressed in upcoming release updates. 1. The ZEDO Ad Tag script is generated using ActionScript 2.0. Currently, Publishers using ActionScript 3.0 will have to amend the script themselves in order to serve the ad. 2. In case of Image Ads, the Creatives resizes to fit the specified frame. This is not the case with Flash ads, which retains its original size, leaving the remaining space blank. 3. Flash Ads cannot be targeted to a flash enabled Channel if that Channel is a part of any Channel Set. 4. For Flash client, ZEDO servers allow all Flash files coming from the ZEDO domain (Script: <allow-access-from domain="*.zedo.com" />). In case of a probable implementation hitch, the publisher domain may be required to be added to the crossdomain.xml file, which is a policy file ( Application Scenarios The application scenarios below illustrate a few common use cases to explain how Publishers can use the new feature to serve ads inside flash sites. Each scenario contains one sample use case. These use cases are not intended as a comprehensive list and are for example purposes only. Use Case 1: Better Ad option for Publishers Goal: Offer a better option to show ads inside flash sites and applications E.g. Unicorn AdNet wants to offer its publishers advanced features to display ads on flash sites Copyright 2008 ZEDO Inc. Page 5 of 11

6 Scenario: Unicorn AdNet is associated with large number of flash web sites. Currently, Publishers in the Unicorn AdNet network use ZEDO s No-Script Tag for serving Ads inside Flash. Although the no-script delivers ads, it is limited to delivery of image ads. Additionally, optimization is not possible with the No-Script Tag. Unicorn AdNet wants to offer a better integrated and more valuable solution to its flash-site Publishers by enabling them to serve all ad types supported by the ZEDO System. Unicorn AdNet also wants to offer Publishers additional options for managing ads by allowing them to set impression limits, control the ad frequency, and target ads to a relevant audience. With ZEDO s Ads for Flash feature, Unicorn AdNet is confident in meeting the Publisher s demand. Unicorn AdNet requests ZEDO to enable Ads for Flash for its network. Once ZEDO activates the feature, Unicorn AdNet starts by creating a separate Channel and setting it as Flash Enabled. Next, it creates a new Campaign and a new Ad. The new Ad is targeted to the Flash-Enabled Channel and the Ad Type is set as Ad Served Inside Flash. Once the Ad is created, Unicorn AdNet moves on to generating the Ads For Flash ad tag script. On the Ad Tag Generator page, Unicorn AdNet selects the Flash-enabled Channel and sets the Tag Type as Flash Site Tag. When the Submit button is clicked, the ZEDO System generates the Ads For Flash ad tag script based on the given parameters. Unicorn AdNet s this script to the Publisher who places it inside the Flash container. Using the ad tag script the Publisher is able to integrate and rotate ads within the flash content. Use Case 2: Video ads with Flash content Goal: Serve video Ads on a flash-based gaming portal E.g. GameDome.com wants to serve ads across its flash web site Scenario: GameDome.com wants to serve video ads on their online gaming portal to support the Advertiser s requests for rich media video ads. Video ads have been known to have better performance than static ads and also increase the level of engagement with users. ZEDO s Ads for Flash feature makes it possible for the Publisher to support Video Ads within a Flash-based environment. GameDome.com creates a new Channel and sets it as a Flash Enabled. A Video Ad URL is entered and targeted to this new Flash Enabled Channel. Then GameDome.com uses the Ad Tag Generator to generate the Ads For Flash ad tag. In order to run ZEDO ads on the flash sites, GameDome.com needs to integrate the ZEDO Ads For Flash ad tag with the main flash content. By following a few simple steps, GameDome.com is able to serve flash/video ads on the flash-based gaming portal. Copyright 2008 ZEDO Inc. Page 6 of 11

8 Step 1: Create Channel A Channel needs to be Flash Enabled for the Ads for Flash feature to work. This can be achieved by creating a new flash-enabled Channel or modifying an existing Channel and setting it as Flash Enabled. Note that, once a Channel has been flash-enabled, it cannot be reversed. To create a Channel: 1. Under the Channels tab, click Create Channel. 2. Enter the relevant details. 3. Select the Flash Enabled check box. 4. Click Submit to save the details. Flash Enabled check box Figure 2: Create Channel Step 2: Create Ad After the flash-enabled Channel is created, create an Ad and target it to the flashenabled Channel. Please refer to the Functional Specifications for the types of creative currently supported by Ads For Flash. ZEDO does not currently support Channel Sets within the Ads For Flash product. When Ad Served Inside Flash is selected as the Ad Type, the System hides the Channel Sets list and all non flash-enabled Channels in the Channels list. Only flash-enabled Channels are available for selection. To create an Ad: 1. Under the Campaigns tab, click the Create Ad button. 2. Within the Type drop-down list select Ads Served Inside Flash. The page will refresh. The Ads Served Inside Flash template displays all options for uploading and targeting Ads within a Flash environment. 3. Click Submit to save the details. Copyright 2008 ZEDO Inc. Page 8 of 11

9 Ad Served Inside Flash option Figure 3: Create Ad Step 3: Generate Ad Tag Finally, you can generate the Ads For Flash ad tag script from the Ad Tag Generator screen. The Ads For Flash ad tag should be placed in the flash container to start serving ads. To generate an Ad Tag: 1. Under the Channels tab, click the Ad Tag Generator link. 2. Select the required flash enabled Channel. 3. In the Tag Type drop-down list, select Flash Site Tag. ZEDO displays additional fields to select the Flash (SWF) file. 4. Copy the Ad Tag generated in the text box and place it inside the flash container. Sample Ad Tag:  loadmovie(' Id]&c=[Channel Id]&d=[Dimension Id]', zedo_movie);  Where: n = Network Id, c = Channel Id d = Dimension Id Note: 1. The variables n, c and d should not be tampered with. The values must be replaced by your Network Id, Channel Id and Dimension Id respectively. Any change to the Ads For Flash ad tag may result in incorrect delivery of ads or blank ads. 2. While copying the Ad Tag from the ZEDO System interface into the Action Script panel, remove the comment lines(<! >). Flash doesn t support the comment tags used in ZEDO System. If the comments are not removed Flash will report an error. Copyright 2008 ZEDO Inc. Page 9 of 11

10 Step 4: Place Ad Tag within Main Flash Content The following steps will help you integrate the ZEDO Ad Tag script with your main flash movie. 1. Open the flash file. 2. Creates a blank movieclip with an instance name as zedo_movie. Place the movieclip on the top most layer. 3. Right-click on one of the frames and select Actions from the popup menu. 4. Paste the ZEDO Ad Tag in the Action Script panel. Note that Ad Tag script should be copied on to the Root Timeline of the flash file. 5. Compile and test the movie. Figure 4: Ads for Flash - Code Demo The final flash code will appear somewhat similar to the one shown below: Publisher Movie Code Sample: loadmovie(' zedo_movie); System.security.allowDomain( * ) function handlevideocomplete(){ // Some line of code. } function handleimageload(){ // Some line of code. } stop(); Where: The first line of code is the ZEDO Ad Tag code minus the ZEDO comment tags. The Second line is a cross-domain script that allows a function in the Publisher s flash file to access a function inside a flash file stored under some other domain. The asterisk sign (*) indicates that access is allowed Copyright 2008 ZEDO Inc. Page 10 of 11

11 to all domains. Alternatively, you can specify the domain name (Eg: *.zedo.com). Then there are two functions that detect if the ad being served has finished playing and return the control to the main content. Function handlevideocomplete()is called in case of Flash (FLV/SWF) Ad and function handleimageload() is called in case of Image (JPG/GIF/PNG) Ad. Step 5: Insert the Flash Code in the Web Page Finally, insert the HTML code generated by Flash into the webpage and the ZEDO Ad will be served on the webpage instantly. HTML Code Sample: <object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b " codebase=" flash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" width="550" height="400" id="moviename" align="middle"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> <param name="movie" value=" MovieName.swf" /> <param name="quality" value="high" /> <param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff" /> <embed src=" MovieName.swf" quality="high" bgcolor="#ffffff" width="550" height="400" name=" MovieName" align="middle" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage=" /> </object> Summary ZEDO Ads for Flash offers Publishers the freedom to display Ads within Flashbased web sites, Flash Video players and Flash Applications run targeted campaigns, and limit ad impression, and control the Ad frequency. Using ZEDO Ads for Flash Publishers can expand inventory to include Flashbased products, and target Advertisers interested in video ads and advertising within a Flash-based environment. Also, Publishers get a performance advantage by using flash-sites to establish format continuity and consistent user interactions between the site and its advertising. Company Overview ZEDO Inc, is a leader in ad serving technology solutions worldwide. ZEDO s Proprietary Third Generation Ad Serving technology provides Industry-leading advancements that enable cost effective ad serving products and services. ZEDO supplies customers with the tools and information they need to effectively manage their online advertising activity such as low cost rich media serving, automatic revenue optimization, precision targeting, efficient trafficking, and much more. ZEDO is a global company with headquarters in San Francisco and offices in St. Petersburg (Russia) and Mumbai (India). For more information about ZEDO Ad Serving solutions, visit Copyright 2008 ZEDO Inc. Page 11 of 11