Chrome Updates Auto-Playback

On 5th June 2015 Google released a beta version of their Chrome web browser - used by approximately 65% of internet connected devices - by far the most widely used web browser.

Along with many tweaks, Google updated the playback controls for Adobe Flash content - for 20 years the default tool/runtime for producing interactive/animated browser-based content - including banner ads.

The new browser, set to be launched as a full public release imminently, will no longer support auto-playback of flash animated content. Instead the browser will ‘intelligently’ pause content, leaving the user to determine if they would like to start the paused content.

How does this affect your activity?

Banner ads will no longer playback unless the user decides to watch them by clicking on the ad. This could diminish the effectiveness of banner ads.

However, there is a solution.

It centres around using the same technology that powers web pages - HTML5.

Unfortunately the tools to create HTML5 banners are immature, at best. And the visual tricks and flicks typically used in construction of innovative banners are not possible, or commercially unrealistic to replicate in this new format/technique.

Added to this is the varying support for HTML5 in different browsers on the market.

Chrome, Safari, Firefox and the rest support and render various HTML5 code slightly differently.

So what looks beautiful in one browser may not in another.

The Brand Agency is currently engaged with Adobe, all the major publishers and our colleagues & peers from around the world to ensure that we adopt best practice to deliver the best possible ad banners to this new specification and technology.

Stay tuned for more updates over the next few weeks.