{"id":8644,"date":"2009-07-01T23:53:29","date_gmt":"2009-07-01T18:23:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/?p=8644"},"modified":"2026-10-15T13:32:42","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T08:02:42","slug":"extra-large-ads","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/07\/extra-large-ads\/","title":{"rendered":"Extra Large Ads: The 2009 Big Ad Formats and Large Ad Sizes Today"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In 2009 top news sites started running <strong>extra large ads<\/strong> that dwarfed the usual 728&#215;90 and 160&#215;600 banners. I spotted a huge Mercedes ad on the New York Times website. This article looks at those big ad formats, what happened to them, and which large ad sizes publishers use today.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-67078\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/extra-large-ads-2026-1024x538.webp\" alt=\"Extra large display ads history and current ad standards\" width=\"1024\" height=\"538\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/extra-large-ads-2026-1024x538.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/extra-large-ads-2026-300x158.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/extra-large-ads-2026-150x79.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/extra-large-ads-2026-768x403.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/extra-large-ads-2026.webp 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> In 2009 the Online Publishers Association introduced three large ad units: the Fixed Panel, the XXL Box and the Pushdown. Big brand ads still exist, but today&#8217;s large formats are standard sizes like 970&#215;250 billboards and 300&#215;600 half-page ads. The Better Ads Standards discourage the most intrusive formats, such as large sticky ads and pop-ups.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6af243ca85015\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6af243ca85015\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/07\/extra-large-ads\/#The_2009_extra_large_ads\" >The 2009 extra large ads<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/07\/extra-large-ads\/#Why_brands_liked_bigger_ads\" >Why brands liked bigger ads<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/07\/extra-large-ads\/#Extra_large_ads_today\" >Extra large ads today<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/07\/extra-large-ads\/#The_Better_Ads_Standards\" >The Better Ads Standards<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/07\/extra-large-ads\/#FAQ\" >FAQ<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/07\/extra-large-ads\/#What_is_a_pushdown_ad\" >What is a pushdown ad?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/07\/extra-large-ads\/#What_is_the_largest_standard_display_ad_size\" >What is the largest standard display ad size?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/07\/extra-large-ads\/#Are_large_sticky_ads_allowed\" >Are large sticky ads allowed?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/07\/extra-large-ads\/#Do_bigger_ads_earn_more\" >Do bigger ads earn more?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_2009_extra_large_ads\"><\/span>The 2009 extra large ads<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>As readers kept searching for content between the ads, top publishers decided to give advertisers bigger, bolder spaces. The Online Publishers Association (OPA) announced that members whose sites reached 68% of the US internet audience had begun offering three new ad units:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The Fixed Panel<\/strong>: 336 wide x 700 tall, stayed in view as the reader scrolled up and down the page.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The XXL Box<\/strong>: 468 wide x 648 tall, which opened for seven seconds to 936 x 648.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Pushdown<\/strong>: 970 wide x 418 tall, which rolled up after seven seconds to 970 x 66.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Here is the huge Mercedes ad I spotted on the New York Times:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3538\/3678422187_cf281983d9_o_d.jpg\" alt=\"Extra large Mercedes-Benz ad on the New York Times website in 2009\" width=\"500\" height=\"613\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Early advertisers using the OPA units included Bank of America, Cleveland Clinic, Frito-Lay and Mercedes-Benz. Publishers offering them, then or soon after, included CNN.com, The New York Times, ESPN, Forbes.com, The Wall Street Journal Digital Network, The Washington Post, USA Today and Weather.com.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_brands_liked_bigger_ads\"><\/span>Why brands liked bigger ads<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Bigger ads give better visibility and more brand presence. For CPM advertisers, who pay per thousand impressions, a bigger ad gets more out of each view. Large spaces on top sites were expensive, so only big brands could afford them, and they usually came with high-quality design. I expected ads to keep getting bigger, though even these were better than full-page ads.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Extra_large_ads_today\"><\/span>Extra large ads today<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Big ads did not disappear, but they have settled into standard sizes, and the most annoying formats are now discouraged:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Billboard (970&#215;250)<\/strong> and <strong>large leaderboard (970&#215;90)<\/strong>: wide units at the top of desktop pages. See where the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/04\/new-970x90-super-large-leaderboard-adsense-units\/\">970&#215;90 large leaderboard<\/a> works best.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Half page (300&#215;600)<\/strong>: a tall sidebar unit. Read our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/04\/300x600-large-skyscraper-adsense-ads\/\">300&#215;600 large skyscraper results<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Responsive ads<\/strong>: most publishers now let the ad network fit the ad to the space. See how <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/12\/new-google-adsense-smart-sizing-responsive-ads\/\">AdSense responsive ads<\/a> work.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Auto formats<\/strong>: AdSense <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2022\/12\/using-adsense-auto-ads\/\">Auto ads<\/a> can add anchor, vignette and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2022\/12\/adsense-side-rails-ads\/\">side rail ads<\/a> automatically.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Better_Ads_Standards\"><\/span>The Better Ads Standards<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.betterads.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Coalition for Better Ads<\/a> publishes standards listing ad experiences people find most annoying. On desktop these include pop-up ads, auto-playing video ads with sound, prestitial ads with a countdown and large sticky ads. Google Chrome began filtering ads on sites that repeatedly failed these standards in 2018, so publishers have good reason to avoid them.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_a_pushdown_ad\"><\/span>What is a pushdown ad?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>A large ad at the top of a page that opens to show the full ad, then shrinks to a slim banner, pushing the page content down rather than covering it.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_largest_standard_display_ad_size\"><\/span>What is the largest standard display ad size?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>On desktop, the 970&#215;250 billboard and the 300&#215;600 half page are among the largest common sizes.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_large_sticky_ads_allowed\"><\/span>Are large sticky ads allowed?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Large sticky ads are listed in the Better Ads Standards as a format to avoid. Smaller sticky units, like anchor ads, are common.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_bigger_ads_earn_more\"><\/span>Do bigger ads earn more?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Often, because they get more attention and more advertisers bid on them, but too many big ads hurt the reader experience and can cost you visitors.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In 2009 top news sites started running extra large ads that dwarfed the usual 728&#215;90 and 160&#215;600 banners. I spotted&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":67078,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8644","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-money"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8644","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8644"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8644\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67079,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8644\/revisions\/67079"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67078"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8644"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8644"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8644"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}