Gimbal | true[X], the ad tech company formed when Gimbal acquired true[X] in 2020, said it is changing its name to Infillion.

By choosing Infillion, a word that means a very large number, the company said it is recognizing the infinite possibilities available to the agencies and brands it works with because of the growth in ecommerce and digital media options.

The company this year introduced its TrueTargeting feature, which connects first party location data with behavioral and viewership data across all screens in order to improve the value exchange between consumers and brands.

“The race for attention is growing exponentially as the digital economy accelerates, providing a unique opportunity for Infillion to become synonymous with the powerful value exchanges that enhance the relationship between brands and their customers,” said Scott Dillon, CEO. “Infillion, and our evolved positioning, perfectly illustrates our growing ambition in the market and how we will drive measurable impact for our clients and businesses.”

True[X] was acquired by 21st Century Fox. It became part of Disney when Disney acquired most of Fox. The company specialized in creating advertising experiences designed to build viewer attention.

Gimbal provides data-driven digital experiences that connect people to places. Its media portfolio centers on advanced data solutions, especially CTV, via true[X] and its programmatic suite, now called Next.

“In a world where technology is expanding faster than marketers can keep up, Infillion aims to make life easier for our clients by connecting their customers more directly, and by demonstrating that a brand cares about consumers’ time, attention and privacy. If we can’t do that, then technology hasn’t advanced as much as we think it has, despite all the innovation,” said Laurel Rossi, CMO Infillion.  ■

Comcast’s advertising division named Pooja Midha as chief growth officer, a new post at the company.

Midha, most recently president of ad tech company true[x], will oversee global marketing across Comcast Advertising, Effectv and FreeWheel. Comcast Advertising has been pushing advanced advertising, including addressability, audience based campaigns, multi-screen content and using data to boost effectiveness.

She will report to Comcast Advertising president Marcien Jenckes.

Also Read: FreeWheel Taps Yuling Ma as Chief Technology Officer

“Pooja has been a great partner and leader in the advanced advertising space for many years,” Jenckes said. “Now that she has joined our team, we are beyond excited that she will channel her exceptional skills and vision to help us drive growth during this time of true transformation.

“Her ability to sort through complexity, synthesize technology and drive marketing innovation is unmatched in the industry and will be invaluable to both our company and our clients.”

Midha was president of true[X] as it was acquired by The Walt Disney Co. when it bought 21st Century Fox, and then as it was sold to Gimbal in 2020. 

Before true[X], she held posts at ABC, Viacom and started her career in ad sales at Dow Jones & Co.

“I’m thrilled to join the Comcast family at such an exciting time for the company and the industry. The work that Comcast Advertising is doing across Effectv and FreeWheel to more effectively connect brands with their audiences and drive measurable results is industry-leading and inspiring,” said Midha. “I look forward to helping to propel this work and the company to the next level.”

Hulu recently launched an ad-free option for subscribers who don’t mind paying a few dollars more, but the over-the-top video provider and one of its close programming partners (and part owner) are still working on ways to keep its other viewers tuned in when commercials appear on-screen.

Fox Network Group announced Tuesday that, for the first time, Hulu will offer its subscribers the option to pick “engagement” spots when they watch Fox shows via the OTT service.

Those ads, powered by 21st Century Fox subsidiary true[X] (Fox bought the advanced ad specialist in 2014 for $200 million), will let viewers pick a 30-second, interactive engagement ad that runs at the front end of the show, versus a heavier “interruptive” ad loads that are interspersed during a TV show and typically span about 2 minutes and 30 seconds

In addition to reducing the “ad clutter” created by interruptive ads, engagement advertising  technology, they claimed, is superior “because it’s 100% viewable, 100% bot-free, and guarantees the full attention of the viewer.”  

“Like Hulu, true[X] has been a pioneer of interactive advertising formats. We are pleased to partner with true[X] to bring choice based advertising to viewers watching Fox Networks Group Content,” Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins said in a statement about the initiative.

Mondelēz International, the snacking powerhouse behind brands such as Nabisco, Nutter Butter, Oreo, Ritz, Wheat Thins, Swedish Fish, and Cadbury, said it will run engagement ad units for FNG’s launch of the format on Hulu.

Early on, the engagement ads via Hulu will be available on Web browsers, tablets and other mobile devices, but longer-term the plan is to offer that capability on TV-connected boxes, Joe Marchese, founder of true[x] and president of advanced advertising at the Fox Networks Group, told The Wall Street Journal.

“The whole purpose is to get out this heavy ad-loading environment, where consumers are ad blocking and consumers are ad avoiding,” he told the publication. “We need to start fixing the interruptive ad model.”

The engagement ad launch with FNG is just one way Hulu has been exploring new ad technologies. In August, Hulu announced it would launch a programmatic platform for marketers this fall that’s powered by LiveRail, the ad-tech firm that Facebook acquired last year.