Google has formally and fully launched Widget Ads, a new format it hopes will make new inroads among brand advertisers, reports The New York Times.

The Google Widget Ad format works similarly to other widgets, acting as its own remote mini-site, with interactive elements built into the ad displayed on the publisher's site.

This sort of functionality is meant to make the ad format more attractive to both user and publisher, since users don't have to leave the host site in order to engage with the ad's content. The remote experience element is becoming increasingly popular, with other rich media ads expanding to create a miniaturized promotional "sandbox" for users to toy with, without requiring they leave the original page.
Gadget Ads can be continuously updated with new information via RSS feeds, creating a fresher experience for all parties involved. People can even add them to their personalized Google homepages.

The format has been beta-tested for months, by marketers from Paramount Vantage to Pepsi to Six Flags. Initial response has been positive. Because click-thrus are not an accurate measure for these ads, Google has worked out a new measurement system to gauge Gadget Ads' effectiveness.