Torstar-owned free daily paper Metro has launched a new ad unit called a “splitter” which cuts the centre double-page spread in half horizontally. The new unit will run for the first time tomorrow with an ad from Wind Mobile with media by M2 Universal and creative from MacLaren McCann. Wind Mobile is using the unit to place a banner ad across the centre DPS with a full-page ad on the following page, which interacts with the split pages. Both halves are stitched and allow for the creative to interact with subsequent ads or act as stand-alone content.

Jeff Smith, VP creative, Metro English Canada, tells MiC the idea came from the paper working closely with its printer to get the most from the creative possibilities available on its pages.

“Together with our printer we came up with the idea to cut the paper and worked with the account reps here and thought of working with Wind Mobile, which is always talking about cutting things from account fees to, in this case, cutting the conversation short,” he says.

Other possibilities with the new ad unit could include creating tearaway brochures within the paper, he says, adding that the paper is in talks with other clients to use the new ad unit in the future.