Images WITHIN text ads -- Google testing new format?

[dk82]

I saw something new on one of my site's 300x250 ad units today. The ad unit is opted into both text and image ads.

The unit loaded with three text ads. The 2nd and 3rd looked normal. The 1st, however, had a 50x50 pixel product image to the left of the ad text. Additionally, rather than the standard title/text/link format, it was title/PRICE/text (URL not displayed at all). The landing URL was a product page at barnesandnoble.com.

The ad format is very similar to CJX Beta which was essentially a contextually targeted affiliate ad.

Anyone else see these?

[thatjen]

I started seeing that on one of my sites a few months ago. I don't know if I've seen those ads recently now that I think about it. On my site I thought it was a good match and, if I was a viewer I would be tempted to click on the ad.

[mhansen]

We noticed one this week also, I want to say Thursday. It was the same as yours. In a text-ads-only 336x280 box, the top ad showed a small thumb of a product.

Thumb > info
Text > info
Text > info
Text > info

MH

[Leonard0]

...if I was a viewer I would be tempted to click on the ad.

I agree, hopefully the format will become more common and help boost my forever declining CTRs.

[farmboy]

Are these thumbnail images from the site where the ad is shown or does it look like Google is supplying the images?

FarmBoy

[HuskyPup]

Are these thumbnail images from the site where the ad is shown or does it look like Google is supplying the images?

The ones I have seen have been using my images. Whether that is because I am #1 for those specific images or whether the advertiser has copied them I haven't checked...will do next time I see one.

[dk82]

It's a thumbnail of the product image from the website. Since I posted this yesterday, the ads appear consistently for me in Chrome but I've yet to see one in IE or Firefox (even with cookies cleared).

[ember]

Like what Chitika does?