MediaMind Releases More Amazing Blocks including Pinterest Pin-Through
MediaMind Blocks are your shortcut to building great online ads – Blocks are usable code and Flash assets that let you more easily incorporate commonly needed multimedia functionality or cutting-edge features.
We release new Blocks every quarter, and this year we’re on a roll – here’s a summary of the dozen blocks that are new for 2012 so far:
The Pinterest Pin-Through Block lets you easily pin items to your Pinterest pinboard. You can specify an image, a click-through, and notes for each Pinterest item, and you can pin more than one item from a single ad.
Use this to incorporate user-generated content into your ad campaign and encourage sharing. Select an image to combine with the imagery in the ad, then save the result or send it out via email.
Webcam Block
Use the Webcam Block to access the ad viewer’s webcam (with their permission).
Filmstrip and Billboard Blocks
These Blocks help you to build the Filmstrip and Billboard formats, two of the IAB Rising Stars units.
The Billboard is similar to a pushdown, except it starts out expanded and the user can choose to collapse it.
The Filmstrip is a high-impact unit that presents a total of 300×3000 pixels of ad space in 5 sequenced panels.
See http://www.iab.net/risingstars for more information on the IAB Rising Stars. The MediaMind platform supports all Rising Stars formats.
With the JS Sync Block, you can have multiple ads communicate using JavaScript, as opposed to using the Flash-native LocalConnection class, which is used by the Sync component that is included with the Workshop. If you need your swfs to talk to each other and scripts within the page, you can rely on this Block for a solid solution.
Print Coupon Block update
Version 2.0 of the Print Coupon Block now supports multi-page printing. Note that this block can be used to print more than just coupons!
If you ever wanted to leverage existing HTML content in an ad or use an API that is only available via JavaScript (Bing Maps, for example) then this Block is your knight in shining armor.
Sonoport Dynamic Sounds Block (Premium)
Based on technology all the way from sunny Singapore, the Sonoport Dynamic Sounds block allows you to manipulate sounds in an ad. This a Premium Block, meaning it has an extra cost – but if you tried to code up all the sound tricks that this Block can do, you would very quickly realize the $49 API Key you can purchase from Sonoport is a Block bargain-hunter’s dream.
The Block can: Generate variations on a given sound sample. speed up or slow down an audio track, play with multiple audio loops, synthesize new tones, pan audio from left to right, read text aloud, at user-controlled speeds.
MapQuest Maps Block (Premium, with free option)
The MapQuest Block helps developers display a map inside an ad. If used with open source data (OpenStreetMap), the map usage is free. If additional coverage or features are required a license can be purchased from MapQuest. For more information, please review the documentation included with the Block.
Live Streaming Block (Premium, and full-service required)
The Live Streaming Block gives developers a leg-up in implementing live streaming in an ad. Part of the process must be handled full-service, and there is a cost for this feature due to streaming costs. The price is set according to the bit-rate, event duration, territory, and other factors.
MovieSearch Feature (Premium, and full-service required)
The last feature is one we sadly cannot yet make available to external developers, since the backend setup requires MediaMind to implement the feature for you. Using this feature, you can integrate into the ad the ability for a user to find theaters showing a given movie, as well as purchase tickets in certain markets. There is an added cost for production services as well as access to theater data.
To find out more about any of our recently released Blocks, please contact your account manager or producer.
And, last but not least, we’re always on the hunt for feedback and new ideas for Blocks! Please send an email to blocksfeedback@mediamind.com with your input. Thanks and happy coding, from the Blocks team.
PS: Keep your eyes peeled for our upcoming “Best on the Block” contest, where you can submit your best use of a block, real or fictitious, and win a trip to Cannes for the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
