Acceptable Advertisement Requirements

StarTribune.com accepts a variety of ad formats, provided they meet the guidelines listed below.
 + Basic Ad
1. All banners with a white background must have a border of at least 1 pixel.
2. Banners can loop a maximum of 3 times.
3. Companies supplying their own ad banners need to submit creative 48 hours (2 business days) before placement.
4. Creative must not auto download additional media, spawn additional ads or ask the user to download plug-ins.
5. Click-thru URL may not exceed 512 characters.
6. Click-thrus for third-party served ads must be collected by third-party ad server. We will provide reporting on impressions delivered data at end of campaign. Third party campaigns are set-up to over-deliver approximately 10% more impressions to allow for discrepancies between Ad Servers.
7. The StarTribune reserves the right to approve or decline a basic media ad campaign if delivery of site content or user experience is compromised. All ad materials must be compliant with StarTribune ad acceptability standards and guidelines http://startribunecompany.com/119.


Basic Technical Specs Guidelines

Startribune.com accepts a variety of ad sizes. Technical specs for each basic size are listed below.
 Ad Type Dimension (pixels) File Size Media Type
Big Ad 300 x 250 39k gif, jpg, swf
Leaderboard 728 x 90 39k gif, jpg, swf
--»Newsletter Leaderboard 728 x 90 20k gif or jpg only (no ad tags)
Flag 146 x 60 39k gif, jpg, swf
Halfpage Ad 300 x 600 50k gif, jpg, swf


 + Rich Media Ad
1. All Rich Media Ads are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, are subject to testing, and must be recieved 48 hours (2 business days) prior to launch.
2. A backup .gif file must be supplied for browsers unable to detect flash.
3. Rich Media Ads should be saved to be viewed by Flash Player 6.
4. If we serve our rich media ad, we require a .swf file, a back-up .gif as well as the original .fla file.
5. All expansion variables must be user click-initiated.
6. Creative must not auto download additional media, spawn additional ads or ask the user to download plug-ins.
7. Ads with audio must have an on/off button and audio must be user click- initiated. These ads will load with audio turned off.
8. Flash ads must have the clickTag code embed in the .swf
On (release)
{ getURL(clickTag,"_blank");
}
9. Click-thrus for third-party served ads must be collected by third-party ad server. We will provide impressions delivered data at end of campaign. Third party campaigns are set-up to over-deliver approximately 10% more impressions to allow for discrepancies between Ad Servers.
10. Click-thrus URL's may NOT include question marks "?", or ampersands "&".
11. We accept customer provided "online ready" Rich Media Ads from Ad Interax, PointRoll, EyeBlaster, EyeWonder and other vendors that are compliant to our guidelines and Ad Sizes.
12. For us to serve & track peel, floater, slideshow or expandable ads you built, please contact us to make sure we can accomodate your banners needs.
13. The StarTribune reserves the right to approve or decline a Rich Media Ad campaign if delivery of site content or user experience is compromised. All ad materials must be compliant with StarTribune ad acceptability standards and guidelines http://startribunecompany.com/119.
 + Auto Expanding Leaderboard Ad
1. Availability: They may run on section fronts and on article pages.
2. Size: Expands from 728 x 90 to 728 x 290 pixels. (must expand to downward)
3. File Size Limit: Initial load must be under 39k, each expanding panel must be below 50k.
4. Frequency Capping: StarTribune.com caps Auto Expanding and Floating Ads so that users may see only one per session.
5. Auto expanding panel can only remain open for 5 seconds before collapsing.
6. Auto expanding panel must have a "close" button in the lower right hand corner of the panel.
7. The leaderboard ad must have a Z-index of 498 attributed to the ad.
8. Behavior: May also expand on roll over or on click, and must contract in the same manner - by mouse off or click to close. Requirements for this feature are listed below in "Expanding Leaderboard Ad."
9. Please refer to the Rich Media specs listed above for all rich media produced ads.
 + Expanding Big Ad
1. Availability: They may run on the homepage, section fronts and on article pages.
2. Size: Expands from 300 x 250 to 500 x 300 pixels. (must expand to the left)
3. File Size Limit: Initial load must be under 39k, each expanding panel must be below 50k.
4. Behavior: May expand on roll over or on click, and must contract in the same manner - by mouse off or click to close.
5. EXPANDING PART ONLY- Audio may automatically play when ad is expanded. It must stop when user rolls off, but must also contain a mute button.
6. Please refer to the Rich Media specs listed above for all rich media produced ads.
 + Expanding Leaderboard Ad
1. Availability: They may run on section fronts and on article pages.
2. Restrictions: They may not run on our homepage.
3. Size: Expands from 728 x 90 to 728 x 290 pixels. (must expand downward)
4. File Size Limit: Initial load must be under 39k, each expanding panel must be below 50k.
5. Behavior: May expand on roll over or on click, and must contract in the same manner - by mouse off or click to close.
6. The leaderboard ad must have a Z-index of 498 attributed to the ad.
7. EXPANDING PART ONLY- Audio may automatically play when ad is expanded. It must stop when user rolls off, but must also contain a mute button.
8. Please refer to the Rich Media specs listed above for all rich media produced ads.
 + Expanding Flag Ad
1. Availability: They may run on section fronts and our homepage.
2. Restrictions: They may not run in articles.
3. Size: Expands from 146 x 60 to 800 x 800 pixels.
4. File Size Limit: File size can be up to 50k for entire ad, initial load must be under 39k.
5. Behavior: Expands downward on mouse click only.
6. Panel size is 800 x 800 pixels.
7. Features: All Expanding Flags will contain a "close" button on the expanding area.
8. Expanding Leaderboard Ads must resolve into 146 x 60 Billboard banner.
9. The expanding ad must have a Z-index of 498 attributed to the ad.
10. Please refer to the Rich Media specs listed above for all rich media produced ads.
 + Floating Banner Ad
1. Availability: They may run on section fronts except Homes and Cars.
2. Restrictions: They may not run on article pages or on our homepage.
3. Positioning: Floating Ads must not appear over our masthead, navigation or other ads.
4. Frequency Capping: StarTribune.com caps Auto Expandind and Floating Ads so that users may see only one per session.
5. Size: Floating ads may be up to 500 x 500 pixels and under 50k.
6. Duration: Animation may run up to 10 seconds, then collapse/disappear into available Leaderboard.
7. Audio: All audio must be user-initiated by mouse click. If the banner includes audio, it must include a mute button and load with sound turned off.
8. Close button: All floating ads must have a close button. It should be positioned in the top, right corner of the floating image. The word "close" should be included as part of the button. The standard "X" symbol should be included.
9. The click thru button should be the size of the "showed" part of the floater (the creative), and not the stage (the 500 x 500 pixel "canvass").
10. Reminder banners must replace an existing banner position.
11. Floating text reminders are not accepted on StarTribune.com.
 + Sliding Billboard Ad
1. Availability: They may run on the homepage.
2. Size: 728 to 759 x 300 pixels. (slides up to disappear)
3. File Size Limit: Sliding panel must be below 50k, reminder ad (expanding big ad) must be under 39k.
4. Behavior: May expand on roll over or on click, and must contract in the same manner - by mouse off or click to close.
5. The Expanding Big ad's expanding panel can be either 300 x 500 OR 759 x 300px.
6. No audio
7. Please refer to the Rich Media specs listed above for all rich media produced ads.
 + Video Banner Ad
1. Availability: They may run in any Big Ad position including our homepage.
2. Positioning: They are delivered through a standard 300 x 250 pixel video player.
3. Size: Video ad file size not to exceed 1mb.
4. Duration: Up to 30 seconds of video which can be user restarted or paused with click button.
5. Audio: All audio will be user-initiated by mouse click and will include a mute button.
6. Requirements: URL click-thru, and video file in digital format (.wmv, .mov, .dvi).
 + Wallpaper Ad
1. Wallpaper ads are a branding product. They include an advertiser logo and a solid color background.
2. Logo: The advertiser must float a logo in the wallpaper. It is a logo more than it is a graphic. It:
• Should identify the advertiser.
• May include a tag line.
• May not introduce additional graphics. This is not a place to show product or other advertising creative elements.
• May not be animated.
• The file size for the logo may not exceed 20k
• The pixel dimensions should not exceed 100 x 200 pixels.
3. Background Color: Wallpaper must use a solid background color, that is:
• Not white (or subtle shade of white.)
• Not in the same family as our brand or navigation colors.
• Not a pattern. For example, the homepage may not be striped or textured.
4. Linking: Wallpaper ads do not link to an advertiser's Web site
5. Scripting: Wallpaper creative may not deliver any sort of scripting (for example, they may not include Java script.)
6. Tracking: If the advertiser wishes to track the number of wallpaper ads that were delivered, they may provided a 1 x 1 tracking graphic.
7. Availability: They may run on our homepage section.
  Examples:
 


Rich Media Technical Specs Guidelines

StarTribune.com accepts a variety of ad sizes. Technical specs for each size are listed below.
 Ad Type Dimension (pixels) File Size Media Type
Big Ad 300 x 250 39k gif, jpg, swf
Expanding Big Ad 300 x 250 39k gif, jpg, swf
--»Expanding part 500 x 300 50k (per panel) gif, jpg, swf
Button 146 x 60 39k gif, jpg, swf
Flag 146 x 60 39k gif, jpg, swf
--»Expanding part 800 x 800 50k swf
Floating Ad 500 x 500 50k - 10 seconds swf
Leaderboard 728 x 90 39k gif, jpg, swf
Expanding Leaderboard 728 x 90 39k gif, jpg, swf
--»Expanding part 728 x 200 50k (per panel) gif, jpg, swf
Slideshow Ad 300 x 250 39k gif, jpg, swf
Sliding Billboard 728 x 300 or 759 x 300 50k gif, jpg, swf
--»Expanding part 300 x 500 or 759 x 300 50k gif, jpg, swf
Video Ad 300 x 250 1mb - 30 seconds mov, wmv, mpeg, dvi
Wallpaper Ad 100 x 200 (or smaller) 20k gif