All creative must meet the requirements of the MSA Creative Acceptance Policy

• User Visits MSN Homepage.  Editorial content loads first with Ad Preload Image visible in the 300x250 area.  After page load, the Filmstrip is populated on the page and commences 15 seconds of animation within 300x250 space. 
• The first interactive panel of the Filmstrip is loaded on initial visit.  The user can interact or view the panel as any standard 300x250 interactive placement.  The user can then move between the panels in the following ways:
  • Direct Interaction (ON Click) There are predefined areas at the top and bottom of the panels that allow the user to click to move to the next panel (it is recommended that there be a clear call to action message to the user in these spaces).
  • Scroll (ON Mouse or Browser Scroll) As the user scrolls down the web page the Filmstrip will automatically move to the next panel of the creative.  To ensure a clean understandable user interaction, the Filmstrip only scrolls one panel per page.
  • Sequencing (Repeat Visits) If the user has interacted with the ad and moved to a specific panel (such as panel #2), any return visits to the site would autoscroll the filmstrip to the next sequential frame (panel #3 in this example).
    
    

DEMO LINK:

http://ads1.msn.com/ads/demos/Product_Innovation/Filmstrip/V2/index.html

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS:

Required elements:

• One (1) Down-Level Image :  .gif or .jpeg format, 300x250, max file size of 30Kb
• One (1) Preload Image:  .gif or .jpeg format, 300x250, max file size 6Kb
• One (1) Flash project (.fla) and rendered file (.swf) for the shell. This contains the navigation and background, 300x250 dimension
• Up to five (5) Flash projects (.fla) for each 300x250 Filmstrip panel. Minimum of three (3) required
• One (1) Flash rendered file (.swf) for each 300x250 Filmstrip
• All external media (video, sound, images, xml, etc) that the ad unit requires to load into it
• All external Actionscript class files and external libraries used by the ad unit
• If video is used, provide a source video in Quicktime .mov format using Apple Animation or ProRes codec for each video.
• If any custom fonts are used in the execution:
  • For MAC fonts use the program “Stuffit” to compress the fonts
  • For PC fonts use .zip files
• List of clickthrough URLs required
• Visual guide showing mapped click-through areas with corresponding URLs
• Third Party Tracking tags (if required) including visual representation detailing each calls graphical location

 

Creative Specifications:

• All Elements
  • Must be published as Flash 10 and above
  • Actionscript 3
  • Flash frame rate cannot exceed 24 fps
  • Ad click through opens into new browser
  • Advertisement audio must be paused on panel click through for landing pages containing non-UI audio
  • A small loading animation (pie loader) is required for all user-initiated loads of external content, including additional Flash files, videos, sounds, etc.
  • Animation limited to 15 seconds on page load. Can loop if within 15-second limit.
  • Cannot have constantly animating elements. Non-looping animation on rollover is permitted.
  • If non-user initiated video is used, video must be streamed and bandwidth filtering included insuring user has necessary bandwidth. Recommended video bitrate is 400Kbps with 500Kbps user bandwidth filtering. Users with less than 500Kbps bandwidth will receive down-level image experience
  • Light colored creative must feature a 1 pixel border (gray [#666666] or black recommended, though any color that clearly distinguishes the ad from the content may be used)
  • Audio Permitted:  Yes, available on user click only, audio is off by default

 

• 300x250 Filmstrip Shell Banner
  • Initial file weight of 30Kb
  • Includes the navigation buttons and banner background image only

 

• 300x250 Filmstrip Panels
  • Max initial file size: 100kb
  • Further content may be loaded on user interaction
  • Minimum of three (3) panels required. Maximum of five (5) panels total
  • If non-user initiated video is used in any panel, video must be set to streaming. Please see “Video Specifications” below for additional considerations when using non-UI video

 

• 300x250 Preload Image
  • .gif or .jpeg format, 300x250, max file size 6Kb
  • Light colored creative must feature a 1 pixel border (gray [#666666] or black recommended, though any color that clearly distinguishes the ad from the content may be used)
  • Will be fully clickable to advertiser landing page until Ad appears

 

• 300x250 Down-level Image
  • .gif or .jpeg format, 300x250, max file size 30Kb
  • Light colored creative must feature a 1 pixel border (gray [#666666] or black recommended, though any color that clearly distinguishes the ad from the content may be used)
  • Will be fully clickable to advertiser landing page

MSN.com is the front door to our diverse network. As such, we want to display innovative creative within our home page display ad placement that can appeal to the broader audience. Below are specific guidelines which need to be applied to all creative featured on the MSN.com home page. These guidelines were developed to help support the MSN brand and overall look and feel of the home page.

MSN reserves the right to prohibit any advertisement from being featured on the home page.

Ads should contain

• A clear message and offer/promotion
• Clutter-free design
• Relevant imagery to the offer or promotion
• Consistent branding (Use of similar/same logos & messaging)
• Landing pages should provide relevant content to the ad featured

Not allowed

• Ads that are misleading in anyway (specifically within creative messaging/offers/promotions etc…)
• Inappropriate graphics: included but not limited to graphic images which generate an adverse emotional response from users (i.e., overly graphic medical conditions/images, images of distressed animals or humans), or overexposure to nudity (i.e., swimsuits, sports bras)
• Rapidly flashing images/multiple flashing images (no more than 2 flashing images at the same time)
• Ads that cover drop downs from the navigation bar and Bing search bar.

For more information, please view MSN's Creative Acceptance Policy

CREATIVE PROCESSING TIMES/SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENTS

MSN will provide a project timeline based on the format and unit complexity requested.  The timeline represents a service level agreement that if not met, may put the campaign at risk and require a reduction of scope. Additional or custom features may have an additional cost associated with them.  Please contact your Microsoft representatives for more information.

Any element not meeting spec or submission requirements will be returned for revision, which may delay the expected live date or require a change of scope.  If you have any questions regarding creative submissions, please e-mail your Microsoft sales or PMG representative. 

 

Audio:

• Audio on/off toggle button must be present at all times when sound is available.
• All audio bitrates (including audio in videos) must be 80Kbps
• Advertisement audio must be paused on panel click through for landing pages containing non-UI audio

 

Video:

• Streaming video is required for all non-UI video (including float animation). All other video must be served progressively.
• If streaming video is utilized, bandwidth filtering must be included insuring user has necessary bandwidth. Users with less than recommended bandwidth based on the streaming video bitrate will receive down-level image experience
• Streaming video is served from MSN Akamai streaming server. Progressive video is served from MSN CDN.
• Minimum video controls required for all video players: Play/Pause and Mute/Unmute button
• Volume Control, Time Scrubber and Replay button are suggested but not required.

 

CPU Usage:

• Idle CPU usage typically falls within 8-12%. When testing a Flash file for this ad, CPU usage after the initial loading of the file must be between 20% and 30%. An initial spike of up to 60% is acceptable in the first five seconds. (Idle CPU usage devised upon computer with a 1.8GHz Intel Pentium Processor and 512 MB of RAM running standard programs.)

 

Browser Support:

• Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 to 9.0 are supported.
• Firefox is a supported browser on a case-by-case basis (dependent upon test results and execution design).
• Limited support may be provided for Safari and Chrome based on test results.
• In cases in which a browser is not supported (i.e. Firefox or Mac browsers), users will receive the down-level image.

 

Static Back-up Image Impression Serve Rate:

• Expected Static Back-up Image impression serve rate varies from 8-12% without bandwidth filtering.
• With bandwidth filtering of 500Kbps, Static Back-up Image impression serve rate can reach up to 30%.

 

Ad Launch Time:

Ad starts no earlier than midnight (12AM), Eastern Standard Time.  Specific times can be discussed.

From time to time there will be text links featured outside and beneath the landing position for the over the page ad experience. These text links are used to provide information about the ad type featured as well as gather feedback from our users on their advertising experience on MSN. These labels will be featured sporadically and all data collected will be for internal purposes only.

 

MSN Homepage Ads are not 3^rd party served.  They are served solely via MSN’s Rich Media Servers. 

• An overall third-party impression tag can be implemented, and would track both the flash and down-level experiences.
• Third-party click tags can be implemented for the flash and backup experiences.
• Currently we do not support implementation of a separate third-party tracking tag for Static Back-up Image impressions.  MSN is able to capture this data and provide the number of Static Back-up Image impressions.
• Overall Impressions
• Static Back-up image impressions
• Clicks from 300x250
• Clicks from Static Back-up image
• Number of times each Filmstrip panel was viewed on page load
• Number of times each Filmstrip panel was selected to view
• Number of times each Filmstrip panel was viewed on page scroll
• Number of Filmstrip panels seen by the user

If User-initiated Video Is Used

• Number of Video Plays
• Average Video Play time
• Video Control clicks (Play, Stop, Pause, Mute, Full Screen, Replay)

Additional Metrics:

• Custom Brand Interaction Metrics (based on execution layout) are available on a case-by-case basis.

Microsoft permits advertisers to collect user-provided personal information (for example, through web forms embedded in ads). Advertiser must provide storage for all personal information as well as the collection method.

• Advertisers may be required to modify ad units or provided additional disclosure in order to be acceptable for advertising on Microsoft sites.
• Advertisers wishing to collect personal information within advertisements (according to specifications above) must follow these guidelines:
  • Clearly identify organization  
  • Provide link to privacy policy (usually adjacent to the web form’s “submit” button)
  • Identify purpose for collecting information
• Advertisers are responsible for setting up and maintaining the necessary protocols to all data collection from the Microsoft ad network

Disclaimers:
(A) Click-through tracking is not available on the following advertising elements:

• HTML advertising elements that use method="POST" for form submittal.
• Rich media elements that use embedded or compiled URL information (for example, Macromedia Flash creatives that do not use the FS command).
• Third party served HTML (IFrame) campaigns.

 

(B) Cache-busting is available automatically for pre-approved third party served agencies, others by request only. Exception: third party served click URLs for hard-coded placements (text links etc) are not cache busted. Therefore, Microsoft Advertising click data for hard-coded placements using third party served click URLs may not match click data from the third party agency. Please enter the cache busting tags; Microsoft Advertising is not responsible for entering these tags.

(C) Different Microsoft properties (MSN Money, Windows Live Hotmail etc) have different rich media acceptance requirements. Please consult the Microsoft Advertising website for the most up-to-date specifications: 

• Microsoft Rich Media Guide
• Microsoft Rich Media Solutions
• Third Party Rich Media
• Individual site pages for product acceptance
• Creative Acceptance Policy

 

(D) Reserved parameters:

• The PID= parameter is currently used by the Microsoft reporting system. If any linking URL contains this parameter, click-through data will not be recorded for the ad placement. This parameter has no current workaround; escaping/encoding will not work.
• The CLICK= parameter was previously used in click-through tracking URLs on TPS HTML creative. This is no longer supported. This parameter has no current workaround; escaping/encoding will not work.

All creative must meet the MSA Ad Submission Guidelines