In the beginning, the Web created banners and they didn't move.

In 1998, the creative style of Internet advertising will shine with color, splash, music and forethought. And, of course, more animation.

Michael McMahon, managing partner/strategy of Left Field, an ad agency for interactive clients, says advertisers are creating interactive advertisements that compel and ultimately hook the Web user.

"We are playing with Java banners, Shockwave banners, audio banners, streaming audio and video," McMahon said.

Sites will continue to use full-screen ads in between page views. There are billboard-style ads, which simply are meant to be eyeballed, even though all the ads ultimately link to company home pages.

Examples of cool interactive ad sites include www.amazon.com, www.cdnow.com and ww2.narrative.com/gallery.nsf.

As for the information, the ads tease. They ask questions, offer choices and pull the user into the interactive experience in a playful manner.

McMahon said many big companies outside of the computer world seem to be reluctant to go online. But ad revenue figures portend a successful future.

The Internet Advertising Bureau announced in October that second quarter spending reached $214.4 million, bringing the total revenue for first half of 1997 to $343.9 million -- a 322 percent increase from the first half of 1996.

The survey also found that ad revenue for consumer-related products reached 30 percent of the total -- a new record.

McMahon says "we're still in a time where a lot of people are starting to dip their toes in" the Internet advertising world," but he and others believe the marketing pizzaz the Web offers will pay off.

"There is much more sophistication in ad strategy," McMahon said.

 1. Dynamic HTML
 2. New Domains
 3. Metered Bandwidth
 4. Web-TV
 5. Rich Ads
 6. The Big Chill
 7. Middlemen
 8. Digital Detente
 9. Cybercommerce
10. Web standards

 1. Push
 2. Windows CE
 3. 56K
 4. Cable Modem
 5. Web-TV
 6. Net Magazines
 7. Apple's Demise
 8. Mac Clones
 9. E-Cash
10. Comdex '96