Get ready for insta-ads- the photo and video sharing network has signed a deal with ad agency Omnicom. Last year Instagram had experimented with sponsored posts for brands such as Michael Kors and Ben & Jerry’s. The value of the deal remains unknown – Forbes reported the deal was worth $100 million, bloomberg pegged it at $50 million and Adweek’s report mentioned it worth $40 million.
(Michael Kors’ Instagram ad as seen on desktop)
Instagram users will see ads from brands that work with Omnicom. However, the deal in no way implies that users would be bogged down by a huge number of crappy ads. The users would continue seeing “beautiful, high-quality photos and videos from select brands who already have a strong presence on Instagram”, said Jim Squires, director of market operations for Instagram.