New Media, New Money: The New Media & Ad Formats That Keep You Ahead of the Pack in 2026
The era of captivating ads has almost set. Now we’re living in a world where users skip, ignore, ad-block, and switch devices mid-scroll. Reports show that audiences fragment across devices, platforms and formats.
That means you cannot keep using the same old display banners and expect huge gains. Instead, you need to lean into new media and ad formats that demand attention, push conversions, and give you scale.
The good thing is, if you’re with PropellerAds, you already have access to a robust network and ad-format mix. Just expand your format horizon with these 5 new formats + 5 steps to launch.
Format Breakdown: What You Should Test
Here’s the quick rundown. You just choose the ones you want, test, and scale what works.
OTT / CTV (Over-The-Top / Connected TV)
When people stream content via smart TVs, consoles or streaming boxes, you have the chance to grab lean-back attention. And the numbers are rising. In 2025 the shift to CTV/OTT is accelerating.
How you do it:
- Target households instead of just device IDs
- Use interactive overlays or shoppable elements (yes, even on TV). For example, click/remote actions
- Test your offer using a video ad, mid-roll in streaming environments
Why you should: You reach a large, under-leveraged pool of viewers, and you’re differentiating your traffic.
Interactive Ads (within digital video, CTV or OTT)
Instead of the viewer just watching, they do. Polls, QR-codes, overlays, choose your ad path. That’s interactive.
How you do it:
- Launch a CTV ad where viewers can choose a variant of the product or answer a quick poll
- Use dynamic overlays in video to tease “Click here to learn more” or “Scan code to get bonus”
Why you should: Because engagement = action = higher conversion potential.
AR/VR (Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality)
Immersive, experiential formats. These ads allow your audience to step into your product or environment. Lately, AR embedded in ads is becoming more mainstream. (Yes, this is genuinely next-level).
How you do it:
- Create ad units where the user previews a product via AR (e.g., “see it on your desk”)
- Use VR only if your traffic source supports immersive placements, maybe niche, but the edge is there
Why you should: It positions you as an innovator. Plus, it can yield higher CPMs because the format is premium.
Voice Assistants/Voice-Activated Ads
Your target doesn’t always look at a screen. They talk. Smart speakers, assistants, voice search – that’s the new frontier.
How you do it:
- Design an ad experience for a smart speaker: e.g., “Hey Alexa, tell me about X offer.”
- Use conversational prompts inside your funnel (e.g., voice-activated landing pages).
Why you should: Lower competition, novelty factor, and taps a different user behaviour.
Shoppable Video & Live Commerce
Put the purchase action inside the content. Your viewer watches, interacts, and buys in the moment. We’re talking about one of the fastest-growing formats globally.
How you do it:
- Run a live stream (or simulated event) where you demo offers and real-time CTA
- Use video ads where products are clickable or overlaid inside the video unit
Why you should: Because you bridge discovery and purchase in one step. And that’s how you get higher ROI and a shorter funnel.
How You Get Started Today
Here’s what you do today to get ahead:
- Pick 2 formats you haven’t used recently (for example: voice ads & shoppable video)
- On PropellerAds, set up “Smart Campaign” test or multi-format features
- For each format:
- Define a clear KPI (CTR, conversion, CPA)
- Keep creative tight and aligned: e.g., for shoppable video, your CTA is integrated
- Track performance window aggressively (first 24-48 h)
- Scale what works: when one format yields a winning CPA, push more budget, duplicate in other GEOs.
- Document the format, creative angle, traffic source, and results. That’s how you build your winning formats playbook so you can replicate fast.
Frequent Pitfalls
Formats are only as good as targeting & creative
Even the flashiest new media and ad formats can’t fix a weak offer—your creative and targeting must carry real conversion power.
Just because something is “new” doesn’t mean it’ll move
Test before heavy scaling. A fresh ad format isn’t automatically a winner – test small, validate performance, then scale only what proves profitable.
Make sure your tracking works end-to-end
Who clicked, engaged, purchased? Especially for interactive & voice formats. If your tracking isn’t airtight, every test becomes guesswork. Ensure clicks, events, and conversions fire cleanly end-to-end.
Consider device/context
OTT/CTV requires different creatives than mobile push or voice. Each format needs its proper environment. CTV, voice, AR, and shoppable video demand creatives tailored to their device context.
Stay updated on platform restrictions & data privacy
Especially for interactive/voice formats. Industry trends show a shift to first-party data and privacy-first targeting.
Ad platforms evolve fast. Stay updated on data privacy and format rules. Otherwise, you risk wasting spend and limited optimization paths.
What You Should Get Out Of This
If you want to stay ahead in performance marketing with PropellerAds, you need to embrace new media and ad formats – not sit back and wait.
You’re not just moving budgets from A to B. You’re exploring:
- OTT/CTV: where big-screen streaming meets targeted ads
- Interactive: where the user does something, not just watches
- AR/VR: where you give experience, not just a message
- Voice: where you meet the user in audio-first contexts
- Shoppable video & live commerce: where you collapse the funnel and the purchase happens during the engagement
Test. Scale. Document. Win.
And let PropellerAds be your platform, and the formats your edge. Now stop wasting time and go launch something bold.
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