Display advertising online is a quick, convenient and highly targeted way for businesses to reach target audiences through a combination of text, images and call to actions. They can be interactive and often include video, animation and changing text.
In 2025, UK digital ad spend surpassed £40bn and it is set to grow even more this year. Here’s all you need to know about the different types of digital ads.
1-Pop-ups
As their name suggests, these ads pop up on websites when people visit them, which may be annoying for the user, but are effective in terms of creating brand awareness and promoting products.
2-Banners
These combine text and images and usually appear at the top or sides of websites like news, blogs and social media. They are probably the most common type of digital ad and come in traditional shapes like squares, landscapes and skyscrapers which fit the platform. If you need help in creating HTML5 banners for your brand, specialists such as https://thebannermen.com/banners/animated-ads/html5 can advise.
3-Native
These are created to try and fit naturally into the website content and include things like sponsored posts and paid social media.
4-Interactive
These use multiple media elements in order to encourage engagement and include embedded features which let the audience interact to create interest.
5-Animations
Animated display ads catch people’s attention by using audio, video and text combined to promote services, brand messages and products.
6-Expanding
Initially appearing as a small display, these allow users to click to expand to find out more about a product.