It was 13 years ago last Thursday when the first 468×60 pixel banner hit the web. It happened on October 25 1994 in HotWired’s website, and the ad belonged to AT&T.

Now, 13 years later, the Web is definitely established as the youngest, fastest growing mass media out there. It plays an important part on our everyday life and also on the lives of the millions of people all around the Globe. On the other hand, having viewed so many millions of pages containing banner ads, most of us have unconsciously developed visual blocking techniques (due to the same old, boring standard ad locations).

Having learned this, the online advertising industry developed new IAB standard formats, however also these ceased to be a novelty, becoming victims of the unconscious visual blocking techniques developed by Internet users.

This is why Web marketeers, designers and programmers work hard to make Display Advertising sexy, interesting and appealing, most of all.

There are many great examples of Display Advertising out there, thanks to designers who really commit to the exploration of the creative possibilities of existing formats; great eye-catching ads with good use of interactivity and high quality multimedia; or innovations like banner ads with integrated RSS feed, remotely updated by the client himself through his cell phone.

With this kind of creative and technical means, all it is necessary to fight the natural formation of the visual blocking capabilities is for the publishers to grant even more custom locations and formats, along with the necessary cooperation of the Ad Serving software Industry.

Happy birthday, Banner!