The Orange France Telecom Group has acquired 100 per cent of Unanimis, an exclusive digital advertising network in the UK.

Unanimis has exclusive online advertising relationships with key website brands such as the AA, Ticketmaster, ASOS, Gumtree and Shopping.com.

Orange believes together, Orange and Unanimis will have particular strength in the area of online advertising.

The company also claims the combined ad sales network will create a reach of over 70 per cent of internet users in the UK, extending to over 66 per cent reach cumulated across UK, France, Spain and Poland.

Unanimis will continue to operate under its brand name and will become part of the Orange Group Advertising Network, which offers advertisers and publishers an opportunity to reach new audiences by leveraging Orange’s multi-screen assets across the PC, mobile and TV platforms.

Vdopia, a Video Ad Network and Video Ad Platform focused on Indians across the globe, has announced the launch of VDO Labs.

The research lab will focus exclusively on taking video advertising experience to the next level by creating innovations around video content. VDO Labs is building ad formats such as Skin Branding, Skin Branding with product placement, and Skin Branding with overlay.

Vdopia’s proprietary Dynamic Skin Branding technology allows the video player skin to change dynamically according to the targeting criteria specified by the advertiser. With this launch, advertisers can now target online video consumers with contextual, interactive advertising for videos watched, the company said.

The ad formats powered by VDO Labs are interactive display advertising formats delivered in a customisable Flash ‘skin’ integrated around the video player.

Demandtec, a provider of on-demand optimisation solutions, has completed its acquisition of privately-held Connect3 Systems, a provider of advertising planning and execution software.

The Connect3 product suite is being incorporated into the Demandtec End-to-End Promotion Management solution, a suite of software and analytical services for managing the complex promotion process, including internal and external collaboration, promotion calendar optimisation, and multi-channel, cross-media execution.

As part of the broader solution, the Connect3 modules will complement existing Demandtec services including Deal Management, Promotion Planning & Optimisation, and Post Event Analysis, and will be marketed going forward as:

1) Advertising & Marketing Execution – core application for creating, versioning, and publishing targeted advertisements to be distributed via multiple channels and media vehicles

2) Proofing – online and ‘green’ software tool for digital ad proofing

3) Signage – interface system for exporting and distributing versioned point-of-purchase, in-store promotional signage or other visual merchandising

4) iFlyer and iGadget – Extensions of Ad Planning & Execution enabling retailers to publish flyers to the web and other promotions via e-mail, smartphones, or third party internet properties.

MDB Communications, a full-service advertising agency, has finalised an agreement with the Center for Digital Imaging Arts at Boston University (CDIA), Washington, DC campus to form a strategic alliance with the digital arts institution. This complements the announcement that MDB is launching a new online video production suite within the agency.

The company informed that three senior executives from MDB will be committed to the CDIA partnership. Gary Duke, EVP has been appointed to the Advisory Board at CDIA; Executive Creative Director, Richard Coad will address the CDIA commencement class of May 2009 and CEO, Cary Hatch will be a featured lecturer.

In addition, CDIA will place students at MDB in internship programmes designed to provide them with ‘real world’ experience in an advertising agency, while honing their digital media skills.