Takeover Ads

Takeover Ads are a type of display advertising typically reserved for high-profile brands and products (consumer goods, new mass media releases, sporting events) on high-traffic online publications. Commonly referenced on the homepages of sites like Yahoo!, MSN, or even ESPN.com, this advertising strategy is often called a “homepage takeover”. To deploy this as an advertising tactic, publishers allow an advertiser to place creative in each available ad spot in their layout. As web development has progressed, takeover ads can also incorporate creativity into the site background, or even have some type of interactive component.

How Takeover Ads Work in Digital Marketing

Takeover ads give brands full control of the visual real estate on a page. Instead of appearing in a single banner slot, the creative fills every available placement—header, sidebars, and sometimes even the background. This format is used for major launches or campaigns where broad awareness is the goal. Because of their high visibility, takeover ads are typically found on homepages of large publishers and are often reserved in advance. The cost is significant, but the reach and impact are equally substantial.