InSkin Media has launched its PageSkin Edge ad unit for smartphones. Initially created to provide a non-intrusive branding format for the mobile web on tablets, the unit has been further developed specifically for smartphones.

It wraps around the top and right-hand sides of webpage content. As the viewer scrolls through the content, the right-hand side element, with branding and calls to action, scrolls the page as well, and remains in view.

Jeep was the first advertiser to use the ad unit, but InSkin said it also has campaigns live with Mazda, Nike, Costa Coffee and Mercedes, with more set to launch in the next couple of months. InSkin has over 150 publisher partners globally, representing over 900 websites. The PageSkin Edge ad unit is currently integrated with 15 UK sites across 12 publishers, including Future, 1XL and the Daily Mail. The unit is also set to launch in Germany, Australia and Singapore. All PageSkin campaigns include full viewability reporting, by InSkin’s partner, Moat.

Nicky Traynor, account manager at Maxus, which booked the Jeep campaign, said the initial results had been impressive. “The campaign achieved an average in-view time of 43 seconds per impression, with over 30 per cent of all impressions in view for over a minute,” said Traynor. “Verified stats on active in-view times are a key additional reporting metric for us to prove the value of investing in high-impact formats, which focus on brand dwell time and quality engagement on smartphone devices, traditionally known for delivering high clicks and low dwell times.”

The Jeep campaign delivered a viewability rate of 95 per cent, and while the average in-view time was 43 seconds per impression, 30 per cent of all impressions were above one minute. The clickthrough rate was 2 per cent.

Hannah Buitekant, general manager, programmatic at MailOnline said she was impressed by the non-intrusive nature of the ad unit. She said: “Although the ad remains in view at all times, it never obscures the content, meaning it does not interrupt our readers’ content consumption. That’s incredibly important to us. Crucially, users need to click on the ad for a certain amount of time before they trigger an action, which avoids unintentional clicks.”

When a reader deliberately clicks on the ad, it takes them to a new webpage, app or microsite. Once they have finished, they can close that window and return to the original point on the page where they clicked on the ad, to continue reading.

“The industry has not cracked how to advertise on smartphones effectively – they account for 45 per cent of internet time, but only 27 per cent of ad spend (source: IAB/UKOM/comScore), said InSkin Media COO, Tom Knapp. “Simply re-purposing desktop formats has not worked for either publisher revenue or for consumer experience. This format addresses both issues; it delivers high dwell times and interaction rates for advertisers, which increase publisher revenue while reflecting the IAB’s L.E.A.N principles, in being lightweight and ‘polite’, giving less reason to block ads.”

InSkin Media has been in business for seven years, developing high-impact, rich media display ad units. It started out on desktop, moving onto tablet in 2014. PageSkin Edge is its first ad unit developed to deliver a high-impact, non-intrusive ad experience on smartphones.