Agency Search 
Site Search Industry Thought Leaders Collaborate on Use of UniversalAdId in VAST 2.0
5/18/2020 – Ad-ID, the industry standard for identifying advertising assets in the US, unveils the industry’s first stopgap solution for using the UniversalAdId, an element in newer versions of VAST, within VAST 2.0, the oldest version of VAST.
The UniversalAdId is a required element in VAST 4.0 versions and higher because it helps maintain a unique creative identifier across systems which enhances the ability to track ads more accurately and easily. However, currently, many in the industry are still using VAST 2.0 as they determine how and when to update to the newer VAST 4 versionsthat support the UniversalAdId element. For this reason, Ad-ID asked its industry partners for help to determine if the UniversalAdId element could be carried through VAST 2.0 and, if so, in which field.
With the help of A+E, NBCUniversal, and Hulu, Ad-ID was able to understand and document how the UniversalAdId can be used in VAST 2.0 within the AdID attribute in the creative elements. Click here to read the full paper describing the VAST 2.0 best practices for the UniversalAdId
Jermaine Roseman, Senior Director of Advanced Advertising Solutions for A+E said, “Ad-ID provides the opportunity to streamline the ad serving process and deliver on the promise of the right message to the right person at the right time. By incorporating the UniversalAdId into VAST 2.0 as a best practice, the digital ecosystem will improve user’s experience, reduce troubleshooting and create greater transparency to marketers and agencies.”
Beth I. Frutkin, Manager of Supply Chain Activities for Ad-ID, also notes that “asset identification is an important part of the digital supply chain. It is the support system that helps create transparency, brand safety, enhanced reporting and more.”
Ad-ID is still working with the IAB Tech Lab to encourage the industry to adopt the newer versions of VAST as soon as possible, however, using the AdID attribute for an Ad-ID code in VAST 2.0 is an easy solution to introduce Ad-ID codes into the digital supply chain.
To learn more about how to use the UniversalAdId element in VAST 2.0, join Beth Frutkin for a 30-minute webinar on 6/4 at 2pm ET. Register Here.
Ad-ID is the industry standard for identifying advertising assets across all media platforms. The webbased system is a central, secure source for the industry’s asset identification information and ensures that all assets are delivered correctly to media and consumers. Ad-ID is a joint venture of the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A’s) and the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) and serves more than 3,000 advertisers of all sizes and most advertising agencies in the United States. For more information visit ad-id.org or follow Ad-ID on Twitter @Adidentify.