ValueClick Media Creative Specifications

Rich Media
This document provides guidelines for working with rich media
creative units and addresses the most commonly asked questions.
When a creative unit does not meet the guidelines in this document,
ValueClick Media will work to identify the quickest and most
technically sound solution.
ValueClick Media requests that animations, images, and dynamic
events display to the end consumer in a polite manner. Creative
units with extreme animation, provocative subject matter, political
messages, gambling themes or questionable content are subject to
publisher exclusions and inventory limitations. All creative is subject
to ValueClick Medias approval.
ValueClick Medias standard turn-around time on implementing
creative units is 2-3 business days.

Ad Formats and Third-party Ad Servers

Formats Accepted: Flash, GIF, JPEG, JPG, PNG, HTML, HTM
Third-party Ad Servers Accepted: Dart, Atlas, Mediaplex, Poindexter,
Bluestreak, Partner Source, TMP (No click-tracking is available), Yield
Manager, Right Media, PointRoll, Eyeblaster.

All Formats
Looping: No restrictions.
Color: No restrictions. Transparent color is acceptable.
Sound: User-initiated sound events are preferred. All units with sound
events are flagged for audio content and subject to publisher exclusions
and inventory limitations.

Flash
Flash banners and back-up non-rich media files need to be within the file
size limit and standard IAB dimensions. When sending Flash banners to
ValueClick Media, please provide the following for each banner in a
unique zip file per ad format:
.swf file(s)
Default image file(s)
Click-through URL(s) listed in a text file
When possible, please include the .fla source file with any nonstandard fonts used in the file. This will allow the creative to be
corrected quickly if there is a technical issue.
Backup Image: All Flash creatives require the use of a backup image
(GIF, JPG, or PNG) that is the same dimensions as the Flash creative. The
backup image will display instead of the Flash file for users who do not
have a Flash player enabled. Only one backup creative per ad format is
needed.

HTML
All creative file sizes and the source HTML file size will be used to
determine the HTML pages actual size content.
ValueClick Media allows the use of HTML forms in all types of
creatives to pass user-entered information to the client.
The "method" for any embedded forms must be set to "get". A form
using the "post" method will not allow ValueClick Media to pass the
form information on and track the form submit as a click.
HTML ads with embedded forms must still be clickable throughout
the timing and spacing of the ad for all CPC campaigns.
All in-page ad units can have style markups via inline tags. The use
of embedded or external CSS files is not allowed.
Absolute file paths need to be used for externally referenced creative
used in the HTML file.

Rich Media Creative Specifications

AD FORMAT

CREATIVE UNIT
DIMENSIONS
(pixels)

STANDARD
MEDIA
MAX FILE SIZE

RICH MEDIA
MAX FILE
SIZE

Banner

468 x 60

25kb

30kb

Skyscraper

120 x 600

25kb

30kb

Leaderboard

728 x 90

25kb

30kb

Medium Rectangle

300 x 250

25kb

30kb

Wide SkyScraper

160 x 600

25kb

30kb

Rectangle

180 x 150

15kb

20kb

Half Page

300 x 600

30kb

40kb

InVue

250 x 250

15kb

30kb

Pop-Under

Up to 720 x 400

50kb

50kb

Interstitial

Up to 728 x 600

50kb

50kb

Click Tracking
ValueClick Media recommends that the entire creative be clickable to increase
click-through ratio and performance. We require all click events to open in a new
window. The accepted HTML target control is _blank. By default, all in page
ad units will be click tracked. By default, all pop-under ad units are not clicked
tracked. All CPC and CPA campaigns with in-page ad units will have click tracking
necessarily.
In order to click track Flash creative, a "getURL" command and the token clickTag
must be used in place of the click-through URL in the Flash file. All click-through
URLs will need to be sent as an addendum text file for their respective Flash
creative(s). Below is exactly what the Actionscript in the button layer needs to be:
Flash 5 and above: To correctly set up the getURL command in Flash 5 or 6, the
button layer in the actions panel should be this:
on (release) {
getURL (clickTag, "_blank");
}
If the button is in a sub movie clip and not in the main movie, use:
_root.clickTag

Prohibited Creative Content

Excessive violence towards a human being, domesticated animal,
livestock, or humanoid creature.
Excessive gore or blood from a human or animal
Adult content and nudity
Profane language or imagery
Flashing creative that has a frame delay of less than one tenth of a
second
Scripts that force an applet download through the creative
Content that promotes any illegal activity
Online gambling content targeting US users

For more information, contact ValueClick Media at 818.575.4500, advertiser@valueclick.com or www.valueclickmedia.com