Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

ActionScript 3.0 (AS3) replaced ActionScript 2.0 (AS2) back in 2006. Ever since then, the new language proved to be a great success, for many reasons. I will especially name the ones that are relevant to us, the end users:

1. ActionScript 3.0 is faster. Because for AS3 code, Flash Player 9 & 10 use the video card directly, AS3 flash animations use less CPU power. In other words, your computer works better with AS3 flash.

2. Smoother graphics. As a consequence of using the video card directly, ActionScript 3.0 can render smoother, video game-like graphics.

3. 3D effects. In ActionScript 3.0 you can create 3D animations like those you can find in the BannerSnack app. In ActionScript 2.0 it’s virtually impossible to do that.

4. Complex effects & custom tweening. ActionScript 3.0 allows programmers to create more complex, movie-like, spectacular and eye-catchy animations than ever! Look at what BannerSnack or FlashEff can do – 90% of what these apps can do would be impossible with AS2. Moreover, AS3 allows you to use custom tweening (ease-in, ease-out, ease-in-out/strong, back, bounce, elastic etc.) for better CPU resource management and more spectacular animations.

5. Better text animations. ActionScript 3.0 allows for more complex text effects, improved readability and faster & better text rendering. Like with all effects you can find in BannerSnack, most of the text effects can’t be technically developed in AS2.

In spite of Flash Player 9 & 10 having a 99% market penetration, Google AdWords still require your flash ads to be created for Flash Player 4-8, which only can play AS2.

We want to change that, so we started this Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/as3petitionadwords. If this cause resonates with you, please become a fan or express your opinion on the Wall.

BannerSnack is getting better!

We’ve listened to you and taken many requests into consideration for the past 6 months. That was easy, because we feel we speak the same language. What wasn’t that easy instead was to decide what features should we implement first. And, of course, actually implementing the features we agreed on…

What are those new features? I can’t tell you that right now. But you’ll be able to see them sometime next week.

Anyway, the new application is more powerful than ever and simpler to use. I can’t wait to see your feedback on it!

A very good way to engage internet users with your message is to insert mini-games in your banners. See the example below:

(more…)

They fail to give you a recipe for success.

You know why? Because there isn’t such thing.

So why do we read them? Why do we spend so much time reading All Marketers Are Liars, Predictably Irrational, The Irresistible Offer,  Buyology or even Buzzmarketing? The answer is: because we love stories. All these books contain dozens of stories about successful brands, interesting people and smart advertising. That’s the primary reason we buy them.

But why do we love stories and what do we learn from them? Well, stories give us inspiration. Stories make us find the right attitude. And, most importantly, stories help us shape our own story.

So there’s pretty much an abstract benefit of reading marketing books; they won’t tell you exactly what to do next. If you feel they do, then you’d better not read them at all, because most likely the “recipes” you find in them aren’t right for your business.

As I said in previous occasions, I’m not so convinced that banner advertising is dead or that at least it should be. The quick counter-argument to this is that banner ads serve well for branding purposes.

However there’s an often overlooked function of advertising which is to inform.

If you have something new to introduce to the market, something better or something that solves people’s problems in an innovative way, you must find a way to inform your audience about it! If your product is useful, you don’t need bells and whistles in your ad campaign; just inform correctly, and the product will sell by itself.

However, taking a short look over the creative output you find on general audience sites for instance, you can quickly come to the conclusion that most banner ads suck. No wonder why users install banner blockers or develop the so-called “banner blindness“?

(more…)

When you say “banners” or “flash banners” people tend to think of banner ads. That’s because usually web banners are by definition a form of online advertising. And you too probably use them to advertise…

But how about placing your own banners on your own website? I’m talking about banners that lead to another page within your website. This way you could “advertise”…

• a promotion or a special offer,
• an article or any content you’d like your visitors to read
• a new product
• a newsletter or subscription
• your blog
• etc.

(more…)

Creative people are a special kind of animal. Not that they’re not human. They are. But they are very different. So we expect them to behave differently, dress differently, think differently and have special – sometimes awkward – preferences.

The guys from JumpeyeComponents look to get inside the creatives’ heads by asking a simple question:

Which are the most important 10 things you can’t live without?

Creatives are invited to answer this question by commenting on this blog post.

So if you’re a creative, help these guys out by naming some of the things you love and couldn’t live without, like your Mac macaroni macaw machine mackintosh mackerel… you get the idea.

AS3

AS3 stands for ActionScript 3, the programming language used for the development of animations, websites and software using Adobe Flash. ActionScript 3 was launched in 2006, replacing the clumsy ActionScript 2.

FP10

In order to work, the animations, websites and software coded in ActionScript 3 require at least FP9, which stands for Flash Player 9. However, we advise you to use FP10 (Flash Player 10).

BannerSnack

The BannerSnack software is coded in ActionScript 3, meaning that in order to work with it, you need to have Flash Player 9 or 10 installed.

Also, the flash banners you create with BannerSnack will require Flash Player 9 or 10.

Issues you might encounter

Because ActionScript 3 banners require the latest versions of Flash Player, some advertising networks don’t accept them. Yet.

336×850 px. A banner.

This is the very first time I see something like this, even though if you think about the 300×600 px banner, the banner doesn’t seem to look that outrageously big.

(more…)

The following banner, found on a MySpace page, is a perfect example of how NOT to advertise online.

Why? Well, firstly because it’s pretty annoying, and secondly, it never stops eating all my CPU’s resources.

I’m going to insert the more attribute before the banner since I don’t want it on the main page. Click “Read the rest of this entry” on your own risk.

(more…)