AdMob launches its new Interactive Video Ad Unit for the iPhone. This ad unit is the first to bring true interactivity to mobile video advertising with in-player actions that enable consumers to browse Web sites, view additional videos, and more while the video is playing. The first ads will start running this week in select applications across AdMob’s iPhone ad network that reached more than 20 million unique iPhones and iPod touch devices worldwide in 2009.

AdMob’s new Interactive Video Ad Unit is the newest addition to the company’s portfolio of rich and engaging iPhone ad units, including Multi-Panel Banner, Scrolling Canvas, and Search. The Interactive Video Ad Unit will be sold primarily as an interstitial that will automatically play as an application loads. This auto-play implementation delivers a captive, engaged audience similar to video interstitials on the traditional PC web. It will also be available through a banner ad unit where consumers will click to play the video. The ad unit features customizable interactivity buttons within the video player, putting users a touch away from deeper brand engagement with an advertiser as they experience branded video content.

AdMob utilized its unique insight into consumer usage patterns on mobile devices and significant investments in mobile technology to create this new ad unit. For each ad AdMob creates multiple bitrate encodings of the video files and then dynamically streams the most appropriate file size based on the devices’ EDGE, 3G, or Wi-Fi connection. AdMob also utilizes its network of globally distributed servers to ensure the fastest possible video load times.

Via BusinessWire.com