The purchase of DoubleClick by Google could bring new life to the banner ad format, opines David C. Churbuck at BusinessWeek.

Beyond the obvious business implications of the acquisition, Google could have more in mind for DoubleClick than to just keep it out of competitors' hands. Google could begin selling its search advertisers display ads and use research showing that, when run in tandem, banner ads actually boost search ad performance. That could lead to a renewed importance placed on banners as they become a component of a more integrated campaign.

Google can also entice marketers concerned with branding by making display ads as easy to place and measure as search or contextual ads.

Google's targeting capabilities and no-nonsense approach may even mean renewed respect by users of banner ads. Long the subject of jokes and frustration, banner ads could become more relevant and not simply flashy gunk on a webpage.