AuctionAds Introduces New Ad Formats

MediaWhiz has started making some changes visible to the public eye since its acquisition of AuctionAds.
On top of changing the layout of the website to give it a shinier look with an updated logo, the ads are now available in a variety of new formats with a stylish look reflecting the updated website layout. The new format comes in five colors — red, orange, green, blue, and gray — and can by displayed horizontally or vertically with one to three auctions. (An example can be seen on the right.)
Despite the updated layout and MediaWhiz’s belief that this ad format will result in a higher click-through rate, there are several issues I see with the new format. For one, the new layout stands out more as an ad, going against common recommendations that the ad should blend in with the rest of the Web page.

Additionally, the ad does not meet banner sizes recognized and accepted as a standard by the rest of the world. This alone will make it less likely that the new format will be implemented by a majority of websites.
With these considerations in mind, it will be interesting to see how these new ads fair in comparison to the old format for any sites that choose to implement them.