The IAB has published an open letter to encourage brand advertisers to use HTML5 when creating their mobile ads. The IAB describes the letter as a call to action for brands to insist that their ad agencies create their mobile advertising in a mobile compatible format in order to ensure the best quality creative.

The open letter is being published in the UK and US simultaneously and is supported by the IAB UK, the FT. AOL, Google, Metro, The Telegraph, Future Publishing and The Weather Channel.

Here’s the full text of the open letter:

Dear Advertisers,
Well just say it: It’s time to improve your mobile advertising.
In a medium that’s all about movement, your ads are inert. With consumers accustomed to content tailored to their time, place and interests, most mobile ads are peculiarly one-dimensional.

To guarantee the ads you pay for actually appear and look great on all screens, you should insist to your ad agencies that your advertising creative be developed in a mobile-compatible format. And the one open, industry-standard, universal format for building mobile-ready creative is HTML5.

Your opportunity has never been greater. Nearly 75% of the UK population has a mobile phone with internet access, and one in four pageviews on the web happen on a mobile device – a number that is growing every month. (Source: comScore Device Essentials, July 2013).

HTML5 will enable you, your agencies and publishing partners to make your creative ideas captivating on every screen, elevate your brand image, and lower your creative costs. We know this may mean a change in how you develop your ad creative. But there are many tools to augment work with HTML5, such as responsive design, and a multitude of suppliers available to assist.

If youre not familiar with HTML5, IAB offers guidance on optimizing HTML5 ad code for better performance across platforms: HTML5 for Digital Advertising 1.0: Guidance for Ad Designers & Creative Technologists. In addition, IAB, in partnership with technology leaders in the space, will be producing a series of webinars focused on HTML5 and other mobile advertising solutions. To learn more, register at http://www.iab.net/MakeMobileWork

Then ask your agencies and developers for mobile-friendly HTML5 so you can reach your audience across all screens.

Sincerely,
IAB UK