Skyscraper Ad

Definition

An online ad significantly taller than the 120x240 vertical banner.

Information

Skyscraper ads are tall -- very tall -- with heights often ranging from 500 to 800 pixels (and widths often ranging from 120 to 160 pixels). For a long time there was no standard sizes to which buyers and sellers adhered. This made skyscraper ads the province of large, well-branded sites that could sell custom advertising packages.

The IAB has since announced standard sizes for skyscraper ads. The standard skyscraper is 120x600 and the wide skyscraper is 160x600. With standards in place, skyscraper ads became more common at advertising networks.

Skyscraper ads are often called skyscraper banners, although some examples have mimicked the look of a banner by using a combination of ad buttons and text.

see also: Digital Marketing Tools

Sites

IAB Standards : Ad Unit Guidelines

Articles

Special Report: Are Bigger Online Ads Really Better?
E-Commerce Times (July 26, 2001)

Studies Say Banner Ads Work, But Bigger Is Better
E-Commerce Times (July 19, 2001)

Related Terms

banner ad, rectangle ad, vertical banner

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