It was sort of fun when Facebook started allowing users to upload animated gifs a few months ago, but now select advertisers get to experiment with the format. This could get ugly.
TechCrunch reports that Facebook is testing animated GIF ads with a couple of brands. For now, it’s just Wendy’s and Kuat, a Coca Cola drink from Brazil with an unfortunate name. The Kuat ad is appropriately internetty: a Nyan Cat cruising through some 8-bit scenery with a Guarana-infused soda can for a body. The Wendy’s ad is an empty salad bowl that becomes a full salad bowl. TechCrunch reports that these ads are only showing up in people’s News Feeds as boosted posts.
While seemingly inoffensive, you can imagine what would happen if all advertisers started throwing GIFs in your face. (Just think about how much you already hate autoplay video ads, though it’s undeniably better when there’s no sound.) Regardless, so many GIFs, so little attention span.