Wenner Media: Digital Ad Suite
I designed a comprehensive collection of custom responsive advertising units for Wenner Media's portfolio of publications: Rolling Stone, Us Weekly, and Men's Journal. This bespoke ad suite enhanced revenue opportunities by providing flexible, high-impact advertising options tailored to diverse campaign needs across all properties. The project included developing intuitive design templates that streamlined the client artwork submission process.
Year: 2017
Role: UX Designer
My Contribution: I led the UX design process and created client-facing artwork templates that simplified the ad creation workflow for advertisers and internal teams.
Example of ad units from the suite
Challenge
Wenner Media was previously reliant on third-party vendors for high-impact ad units, which presented several limitations. Many vendor-provided units lacked responsive capabilities and didn't align with the specific campaign requirements of Wenner Media's advertising clients. The company sought to develop an in-house ad suite that would eliminate these constraints while reducing operational costs.
Target Audience
Digital users across Wenner Media's three major publications, along with advertising clients seeking impactful placement options.
Project Constraints
Development of five distinct ad unit types:
Responsive leaderboard with video integration
Combined editorial and advertising leaderboard
Full-width above-navigation ad with video capabilities
Full-page skin advertisement
Mobile-exclusive large scroll-away unit
Ensuring compatibility across three distinct brand websites
Creation of user-friendly templates for client artwork submission
Design Process
Strategic Planning
I began by thoroughly evaluating potential ad placement options across all three websites, analyzing user flow patterns, and identifying optimal positions for maximum impact without disrupting the core reading experience. This assessment informed decisions about which ad formats would be most effective in different contexts and layouts.
Wireframes
I created detailed wireframes that served dual purposes—visualizing the layout designs and establishing technical specifications including safe zones for images, logos, and interactive elements. This phase was critical for determining how each ad type would behave responsively across different screen sizes while maintaining visual integrity.
Prototype Testing
Once the initial wireframes were complete, I tested each ad format using mock advertising assets to validate their effectiveness. This testing phase allowed me to refine proportions, animation timing, and responsive breakpoints before finalizing the specifications for development.
Implementation
The final deliverables included comprehensive design specifications for the development team and a series of Photoshop templates created specifically for advertisers. These templates streamlined the asset creation process by clearly communicating size requirements, safe zones, and technical specifications to ensure all submitted materials would function properly within our framework.
Video of a campaign for the Canadian Tourism Board using the responsive leaderboard with video ad unit
Video of a campaign for Harley Davidson using the responsive leaderboard with video ad unit
Example of a campaign for Benefit using the above the navigation full width ad with video
Video of a campaign for Ram using the responsive leaderboard with mixed editorial and ad content unit
Examples of the above the mobile-only scroll away unit
Example of a campaign for Mozart in the Jungle using the full page skin ad unit
Solution Components
The final Digital Ad Suite design included:
Responsive Leaderboard: Video-integrated unit adapting to all screen sizes
Editorial/Ad Hybrid: Combined content unit enhancing contextual relevance
Full-Width Navigation Unit: High-impact placement with video capabilities
Full-Page Skin: Immersive brand experience surrounding site content
Mobile Scroll-Away Unit: Format optimized for smartphone user engagement
Client Templates: Standardized Photoshop files for simplified asset submission
Technical Specifications: Clear guidelines for safe zones and responsive behavior
Cross-Brand Compatibility: Unified implementation across three distinct publications
Results & Impact
The in-house digital ad suite transformed Wenner Media's advertising capabilities while delivering meaningful business outcomes. By bringing high-impact ad development in-house, the company gained greater control over both the creative and technical aspects of digital advertising.
Cost Reduction: Eliminated dependency on external vendors, resulting in significant annual savings
Expanded Offerings: Increased available ad placement options for clients with five versatile, responsive formats
Streamlined Operations: Simplified campaign creation through standardized templates and in-house implementation
Cross-Platform Consistency: Ensured cohesive brand experiences across Rolling Stone, Us Weekly, and Men's Journal
Client Satisfaction: Improved advertiser relationships through more flexible, customizable advertising solutions