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Google Signals Support for Immersive 3D Ad Experiences: Here’s Why That Matters

  • Writer: Stuart Davenport
    Stuart Davenport
  • Oct 9, 2024
  • 2 min read

Updated: Jun 5


Digital advertising has entered a new era—and it’s not just about who has the best product. It’s about who can capture attention in a world where attention is scarce.

Google’s growing support for immersive 3D ad formats marks a major shift in how products will be seen—and more importantly, engaged with—in search, shopping, and display environments.

This isn’t a feature. It’s a signal.


👀 The Attention Landscape Has Shifted

SERPs are no longer what they used to be:

  • AI-generated summaries now dominate above-the-fold space

  • Featured snippets often answer the question before the user clicks

  • Google Shopping results? A wall of white-background sameness—“like” products, indistinguishable except for price

In short: you're not just competing for visibility—you're competing for mental bandwidth.


🎯 3D Ads: The Right Tool at the Right Time

Immersive 3D formats like Google Swirl let you break that sameness.

These formats offer:

  • 🌀 Real-time interaction: Rotate, zoom, explore

  • 💡 Deeper product understanding: Let users see unique features, finishes, and form

  • 🚀 Engagement through motion: Movement draws the eye where static images can’t

  • 🛒 In Google Shopping: A dynamic 3D model turns “just another listing” into something tactile and memorable

And yes—3D ads require actual 3D models. There’s no magical one-click conversion from a flat product photo to an interactive model (yet). But for products that don’t change frequently, a well-made 3D model is a one-time investment that can power campaigns across web, mobile, AR, and beyond.


🛠️ Tools Google Has Put Behind This

Google isn’t dabbling—they’re building the infrastructure for 3D-first experiences:

  • Swirl Ads: Interactive 3D display formats that run in Google's ad networks

  • Google Web Designer: Design motion graphics and embed 3D models into HTML5 creatives

  • Display & Video 360: Manage, test, and optimize immersive ads across platforms

These aren’t experiments—they’re signs that immersive content is going mainstream.


🔮 Where This Goes Next

3D isn't just a cool feature. It’s a strategic response to the collapsing attention span of digital environments.

As AI summaries continue to absorb the top of the SERPs, and flat images get lost in a sea of sameness, the brands that win will be those who:

  • Offer a richer sensory experience

  • Use interactivity as a differentiator

  • Show products the way people actually want to see them—up close and in motion

This isn’t about chasing trends. It’s about staying visible in a world that's rapidly automating away generic content.

✍️

80% Human. 20% Algorithm. 90% Confident.(It’s just an idea. We could both be wrong.)



 
 
 

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