Beginning on September 1, 2015, Flash ads in the Google Chrome browser will no longer have automatic animation and will become click-to-play. In order for an ad to continue with the automatic animation, it must be built in HTML5. Moving forward all browsers (Firefox, Internet Explorer etc.) are expected to follow suit and move away from automatic animation on all ads.

Wait, What is HTML5 Again?

Definition: HTML 5 is a revision of the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), the standard programming language for describing the contents and appearance of Web pages.

If you learn visually (like me) here is a quick video overview:

Why is This Happening?

• Flash creative has long been an issue with browsers as it required an enormous amount of battery life to support the flash animation. Eliminating this type of creative will result in a better customer experience.
• This comes on the heels of YouTube disbanding Flash earlier this year in favor of HTLM5 which has resulted in a much improved format and experience.

What Does This Mean for Me?

• All advertising campaigns that are currently running Flash creative will need to be converted to HTML5 prior to September 1st to avoid the risk of your ads not running properly.
• All digital creative moving forward will need to be built in HTML5; essentially you should no longer be building anything in Flash.

But Really, How Many People Actually Use Desktop Chrome?

• When the smoke clears in September, 61% of the Desktop browsers will be blocking Flash Ads and 39% will accept the ads. That’s a big part of the population you will be missing if you are not updating your ads prior!
  • Breakdown:
    • Chrome 44.5%
    • Safari 16.1%
    • IE 15.6%
    • Firefox 14.2%
    • Opera 3.3%

Ok Ok, I see It’s Important. What is needed for HTLM5 ads?

• Supported File Types: HTML, HTM, JS, CSS, JPG, JPEG, GIF, PNG, JSON, XML, and SVG

End result, be sure you are working with your digital partners so you are in the best position possible to hit the ground running in September!