Over the past few years, digital display advertising has evolved-perhaps more than in the previous five or ten years combined. Prior to mass adoption of rich media, the industry was seemingly stagnant and in a place not far from the first “You Will” banner ad in 1994. Campaigns were still measured by impressions, clicks and not much else. Just recently, new IAB standard units called Rising Stars have taken the display game by storm.

Rising Star ad units harness the power of rich media content to engage users. In a comprehensive IAB study comparing Rising Star units to standard units, users spent nearly 50% more time interacting with ads. From interaction rate to time on unit, we quickly learn from the study that there’s a very real reason for the name of these newer ad units.

This is a great example of industry innovation that is required when we move away from the stale metrics and units of the click-obsessed past, towards creating richer experiences that incite action. For the most part, publishers have adopted the new units, but it’s up to the advertisers to make them sing. The less time spent on workflow and publisher back-and-forth, the more time there is for ideation and concepting.

As the industry moves and innovates together, issues like workflow and project management become easier. Heck, there are even great templates out there to make your lives easier. With these types of tools, there’s less time and worry spent on meeting publisher spec and more time to focus on creative that engages users, and ultimately, achieves business objectives.

In no particular order, here are the next generation of digital ads (click images for larger view):

Billboard:

Filmstrip:

Portrait:

Pushdown:

Sidekick:

Slider:

Or, view a video of the IAB Standard Rising Stars in action.