Overlay ad at photo's edge,
courtesy of Mobbit and Begun
Building on Begun.VideoContext, a contextual video ad format released in June, Russian ad firm ZAO Begun has launched Begun.PhotoContext. (View the news release in Russian.)
Like the transparent overlay ads Google launched for YouTube videos, Begun's photo overlays are transparent ad messages that appear when a user mouses over the image. Ads are targeted by photo tags, photo category and user behavior.
Revenues will likely be split between advertisers, Begun and the photo publisher.
The service is available to current Begun advertisers. Photofile.ru and Mobbit.info have already begun using the technology.
Over 50% of Begun is owned by Rambler Media, the fourth-largest Russian internet portal. In July 2008, Google attempted to purchase the ad firm for $140 million. This week Russia's Federal Anti-monopoly Service blocked the buy under the "Protection of the Competition" law.
