iAds Hit iPads, Starting With Unilever

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It was really only a matter of time, but iAds–the Apple-developed advertising system specifically for iOS gear–have finally made their way to the iPad. The ads in question are from Unilever, the soap maker most commonly associated with the Dove brand, and they’re taking advantage–no pun intended!–of the upcoming March Madness events to get their word out about soap.

The ads in question are set to feature former NCAA greats Earvin “Magic” Johnson, John Thompson III, and Bobby Hurley as part of an overall campaign called “Journey to Comfort”. Naturally, it’s the perfect time for such a campaign as every basketball fan out there is currently braced for the impact of the March Madness college basketball series.

But, and this shows off how powerful the iAd system can actually be, this isn’t just a set of videos. Unilever’s thrown in a trivia game called Trivia Timeout, as well as a Game Day Fan Zone where fans can keep an eye on the daily schedules of basketball games right through Unilever’s own portal.

And frankly, if this is the future of advertising, call me thoroughly satisfied with it. Speaking here as someone who’s done some ad design work, getting people to actually pay attention to advertising is not only harder than ever, it’s also never been easier for people to ignore it. Everyone thought pop-up ads were great back when the internet first got going, but then came pop-up blockers, and so on down the line.

The iAd system should go to great lengths to affect how advertisers operate–entertaining ads have always had a place, but getting people to pay attention is always the focus of ads. Advertisers now have to work harder to catch and hold interest, and interactivity like this will go a long way toward doing just that.