The social network Facebook is planning to allow animated Graphics Interchange Format (GIFs) images for promotional ads and page posts, and ease up on its ban of flashy banner ads. It is testing the new advertisement format with brands such as Wendy's and Coca-Cola.
Tech Crunch reported that Wendy's GIF ad shows a vegetable salad being prepared. Facebook is also testing an ad for Kaut, a Brazilian Coke drink, which features a cat flying in a rainbow-emitting soda can, according to Tech Crunch.
The social network is testing the GIF ads in posts and also "boosted" posts for a small number of Facebook Pages. It could result in a bigger rollout based on the results.
Facebook noted that GIFs can be a fun and enchanting method of communication. If the response is positive during the tests, it will make the GIF ads available for a greater number of Pages.
The social media's new ad format follows its announcement in May that it would finally allow users to post animated GIFs in status updates, according to PC Mag. This was a 180-degree turn in its policies.
For years Facebook had banned the moving pictures. This was probably due to concerns about crowded News Feeds and super-slow load times.
The social media company could also take steps if GIFs posted are hidden or spam. That includes banning the images or advertisers.
Twitter also allowed users to post animated GIFs starting last year. It had resisted making the change for several years.
Facebook made a blog post stating that GIFs cannot go in the small sidebar ads it is now facing out. Instead they will appear in boosted Page posts, which will comprise most advertisements in feeds.
The first animated GIF, which featured a sprinting dog, appeared on a UNIVAC computer in 1953. It took 17 days to run on the room-sized computer.