MAM
SF Interactive launches rich media Ad3 platform
SAN FRANCISCO: SF Interactive (SFI), a pioneering interactive marketing agency, has announced the launch of its proprietary Ad3 (“Ad Cube”) platform. The new ad unit acts as a multi-dimensional, interactive advertising and branding environment that allows online viewers to interact with strategic marketing content in uniquely engaging and fully-measurable ways.
An official release informs that the Ad3 unit houses video, sound, 3D animation, and text-based documents and content — stimulating longer viewer interaction and stronger branding implications.
The Ad3 unit meets all standard IAB size requirements and provides a much more robust marketing vehicle because of the quantity and quality of the rich media it contains. It acts as a mini-website, with content accessed through simple, point and click user interfaces that keep viewers on-site longer, instead of redirecting them to other sites via click-throughs typically associated with banner ads, pop-ups and interstitials.
SFI’s President Bruce Carlisle was quoted as saying: “Marketers have been searching for a multi-purpose branding vehicle that extends, re-purposes and integrates rich media content developed for their marketing, advertising, sales and business development programmes. The Ad3 is a revolutionary new advertising platform that allows advertisers to enhance brands, generate leads, and measure viewer actions with precise Return on Investment (ROI) tracking tools.”
SFI states that it has already deployed the Ad3 for several clients including Cisco, VeriSign and Quantum. It is in active pursuit of contracting with leading online publishers to have them adopt the technology platform and offer it to all advertisers as a new ad unit format.
VeriSign says that it learnt a lot from its first Ad3 execution. Now the company is enhancing it with a downloadable white paper and an interactive FAQ (frequently asked questions) to provide online viewers with deeper product knowledge right at the point of interaction.
With only a 25 KB footprint, high-speed serving solution, and full tracking and measurement capabilities provided by third-party BlueStreak, the Ad3 allows publishers to accept advertising with up to 50 megabytes of information content. In some tests of the Ad3, interactivity has exceeded publisher norms by as much as 400 per cent.
SF Interactive constantly innovates in the rapidly evolving art and science of online marketing. The agency offers a broad-based, fully integrated practice focusing on interactive marketing and media strategy, online media services, direct email, data analytics and Web development.
Brands
Zee partners L’Oréal Paris on multi-language Glycolic Gloss campaign
Brand films and show integrations target Hindi, Marathi, Tamil and Bangla viewers
MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited has partnered with L’Oréal Paris to roll out a multi-regional advertising campaign for the Glycolic Gloss haircare range, leaning on regional storytelling and trusted television celebrities to drive belief and recall.
The campaign spans four bespoke brand films and contextual integrations across Hindi, Marathi, Tamil and Bangla markets. At its core is a simple consumer insight: Indian audiences are more likely to trust visible results validated by others than abstract product claims.
Zee Entertainment Enterprises head of advertisement revenue, broadcast and digital Laxmi Shetty, said brands are increasingly seeking relevance and credibility alongside reach. She said the campaign demonstrates how regional “dilfluencers” can turn product claims into “visible, validated experiences” by embedding brands within authentic storytelling across platforms.
To that end, Zee has deployed its roster of regional “dilfluencers”: familiar faces from leading fiction channels, to anchor the films. The celebrities share first-hand experiences with the Glycolic Gloss range, framing shine and smoothness as instantly noticeable and socially affirmed rather than promised.
WPP Media president, client solutions, South Asia Shekhar Banerjee, said the campaign was designed as a platform-first, integration-led solution that balances scale with attention. Aligning the brand with Zee’s premium content and trusted talent, he said, helped push impact beyond visibility towards sustained brand trust.
Beyond standalone films, the campaign extends into contextual integrations within top-rated fiction shows airing through January and February 2026. These in-show moments are designed to embed the product into everyday narratives without disrupting viewer engagement.
L’Oréal Paris India general manager Dario Zizzi, said the renewed partnership reflects the brand’s focus on engaging India’s diverse consumer base through local languages and culturally resonant narratives. He added that integrating the Glycolic Gloss range into Zee’s regional content allows the ‘Gloss Ki Guarantee’ proposition to connect with women’s lived experiences across markets.
The initiative will run across Zee’s linear television network and its OTT platform, Zee5, combining mass reach with digital amplification. For L’Oréal Paris, the strategy reflects a deliberate move away from one-size-fits-all communication towards locally resonant messaging tailored to language, culture and viewing habits.
Media planners involved in the campaign say the approach underscores a broader shift in beauty advertising, where scale is increasingly paired with credibility and contextual relevance. By aligning with premium content ecosystems and well-known regional talent, the Glycolic Gloss campaign aims to translate visibility into sustained brand trust.
