AAAA/ANA announce
"Ad-ID" digital ID system for ads

The Association of National Advertisers (ANA) and the American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA) announced 7/15 the formation of a new division, "Advertising Digital Identification, LLC (Ad-ID)" at their "Effective Use of Digital Marketing to Reach Profitable Consumers" conference in NYC.

Ad-ID is a joint venture that aims to provide the first-ever digital ID system for all forms of advertising. The system-designed by the ANA and AAAA and major media groups-is expected to be fully operational by October. The goal is to have universal adoption and compliance by all media, advertisers, ad agencies, and their suppliers.

Initially, the new system will serve as a replacement for the eight-digit analog ID codes mandatory for placing network TV commercials for the past 30 years, called Industry Standard Coding Identification (ISCI). ISCI's coding system offers only four million unique combinations, cannot be used in any other media and lacks the ability to track and attach information about each ad.

Ad-ID is backward compatible with ISCI, is completely digital and uses a 12 digit alphanumeric code-creating 2.8 trillion combinations. Ad-ID users will be able to learn which agency created the spot along with an entire list of credits (director, copywriter, art director, production house, etc); and eventually when and where an ad has run.

Ad-ID's HQ will be located at AAAA HQ in NYC, where ad agency veteran John Kaiser has joined as Ad-ID's SVP, Marketing and Sales. He will work with AAAA EVP Wendy Jones in the AAAA's Charlotte office where the operations and finance sides of Ad-ID will be run.

Says O. Burtch Drake (pictured), AAAA President/CEO: "Ad-ID will help migrate the current ISCI to a digital platform and holds great potential for the industry. Finally, here's a system that allows advertisers, agencies, the media, and suppliers to be fully connected and communicating in real time-and we're confident this new ID system will revolutionize the industry the way the UPC code revolutionized the grocery business."

"Given the new media landscape, we knew we had to create one coding standard to ensure that our advertisers and their agencies would not face a confusing array of multiple standards to identify their advertising assets. Ultimately, Ad-ID will facilitate a higher level of accountability," adds John Sarsen, Jr. ANA's CEO.