Yahoo Wants To “Tell Better Stories” With New Motion Ads

This morning, Yahoo debuted a new ad format that introduces “subtle animation for brand story telling.” Called “Motion Ads,” they’ll display on the Yahoo homepage, vertical category homepages and the Yahoo login page.

The example ad below for Kraft Singles depicts a warm grilled cheese sandwich with steam rising from the melted cheese. (It does look tasty, though you’ll probably want to make the sandwich at home with real Cheddar.)

The animation gives the display unit more creative horsepower — or cheese power in this case. I noticed this ad over the weekend and did a double take on the steam. It definitely got my attention.

Kraft is reportedly the inaugural advertiser for the new creative unit. There was no mention of other advertisers lined up, or the full extent of the new unit’s creative capabilities.

Obviously the Motion Ad’s impact is driven by surprise and novelty. Sustaining that surprise and novelty over time will be the challenge.