AdMob has released software development kit for Windows Phone 7 developers along with an update to its platform to full HTML5 for iOS, Android and Windows Phone 7. The upshot - developers can more easily integrated ads into their applications and repurpose the same work for the various platforms. The SDK supports text and banner ads with a variety of post click actions including opening a webpage and linking directly to the App Marketplace, Google says. The updates also make easy for users to return to their application after engaging with the ad.

The move to HTML5 is particularly noteworthy because it will lead to more rich media opportunities for ads, GigaOm says. With HTML5 incorporated in the SDK, developers can do more rich integration in the ad itself - pointing people to nearby retail outlets while in the ad for example - and full-screen interstitials on tablets, it said.

Yahoo Says, 'Been There, Done That'

These move follow Yahoo’s nearly year-ago launch of interactive mobile display ads built with HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript technologies. The inaugural ad, developed by Paramount and DreamWorks Animation, was a campaign for the new Shrek movie, Shrek Forever After. When a consumer taped on its banner, it transformed into a image of Shrek wearing 3-D glasses with a call to action to view the film trailer.

According to Paul Cushman, Yahoo! senior director of mobile sales strategy, the mobile enjoyed a click-through rate of 6.2% compared to the PC version of the rich media campaign, which saw a .2 percent click-through rate. (via Mobile Marketer)