WebProNews

Yahoo is launching a new Yahoo Mail ad unit called "Tandem," to be reserved for "the most creative" non-profit campaign. The company has partnered with the Ad Council to launch the initiative, which it refers to as "Create for a Cause."

  Features of the ad unit include synched animation, floating rich media, and streaming video. Yahoo says the objective of the contest is to determine which campaign most creatively and effectively uses the Tandem capabilities.

It's a contest in which advertising agencies can submit their non-profit digital campaigns for a chance to appear in 74 million impressions on Yahoo. In addition, the winner can be among the first to try Yahoo's new custom ad unit integration on Yahoo! Mail, and reach 32 million daily users.

"Agencies are doing an unbelievable job of building smart campaigns for good causes and helping non-profits break into digital in meaningful ways," said Beth Lawrence, vice president of agency development at Yahoo!. "This contest with the Ad Council provides a fun and creative way for agencies to showcase their creative genius, get some recognition for their favorite non-profits and drum up interest and visibility for an important cause. We are thrilled to be a part of this contest and part of the digital revolution for every kind of campaign."

Any advertiser that currently has a digital campaign with the Ad Council is eligible to apply, but advertisers are also encouraged to create new campaigns. The winning entry will be announced November 4th and run on November 18th. The deadline for submission is October 23rd. Submissions can be made at advertising.yahoo.com/createforacause.

Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO of the IAB, Nancy Hill, President and CEO of AAAA, Allison Arden, Publisher of Advertising Age and Creativity Magazine, Peggy Conlin, President/CEO of the Ad Council and others make up the committee that will judge the campaigns.

Yahoo wins from the contest by getting to show off its new ad unit to a lot of people, but the best part is that no matter who officially wins the contest, the ad will (presumably) be aimed at a good cause and create massive exposure for it.