As a special preview of iAd for iPad, Disney's TRON Legacy advert showcased the possibilities for marketing agencies and developers on the 10-inch tablet.
Apple's mobile advertising platform iAd debuted on iPhones in the US last summer, and crossed the pond with the European rollout of a Unilever campaign in November.
The same British-Dutch multinational corporation is now kickstarting the iAd service on iPad, with its NCAA-themed promo going live in America overnight.
A Magical Journey
iPad owners who click on the full-screen advert for Unilevers Dove Men+Care are treated to a series of three clips entitled 'Journey to Comfort', including one on NBA legend Earvin 'Magic' Johnson.
In addition to the video shorts, Unilever's maiden iPad iAd tests the consumers' NCAA knowledge via Trivia Timeout and incorporates a Game Day Fan Zone, where fans can access daily game schedules and purchase school fight songs in iTunes.
As you might expect, the launch timing of this promotion is not coincidental, given that the NCAA's season-ending basketball tournament March Madness is in full swing.
Positive spin
And as Rob Candelino, marketing director, Personal Wash U.S., Unilever, points out, the company will be hoping to repeat the success it enjoyed with its 2010 iAd:
"We saw an overwhelmingly positive response from consumers, with over 24,000 video views and logging in over one minute per visit in time spent."
Whether the introduction of these iPad-specific iAds will lead to greater interest in the advertising platform overall and reverse the declining fill rates remains to be seen, though.
[source: MediaPost]
Apple's first iAd for iPad goes live in the US
Unilever's NCAA-themed advert nets the glory
