• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, August 24, 2015

Digital publishing platform Flipboard is expanding its advertising offerings with a new video product called Video Ads with Cinema Loop, which allow advertisers to integrate native video messages into the curated collections of content created by users -- but in a way the company claims won’t be disruptive to readers.

Unlike other auto-play in-stream video ads, which simply begin playing when they come into view (or even when they don’t), Flipboard’s Video Ads with Cinema Loop shows a small, eye-catching animated clip from the video ad, which loops without audio until the viewer taps play. Only once the viewer has actively chosen to view the ad does the full video play with audio.

The highlighted clip is selected by hand, with a human editor choosing the most engaging three- to eight-second clip from the video ad.

The new product debuted with gaming company Machine Zone as its launch advertising client, promoting its new casual game title, "Game of War." The ads are running in Flipboard’s tech, gaming, and entertainment interest segments.

Flipboard has been rolling out a number of new advertising products. Back in January it unveiled Promoted Items, a native ad service that allows brands to integrate content including articles, videos, photos and products into the user’s personalized magazines. Brands using Promoted Items for content marketing can place messages alongside relevant editorial by choosing from interest channels, including news, technology, sports, business, style, entertainment, automotive, lifestyle, design, travel, or culinary and food.

On the user side, Flipboard has launched a new feature, Flipboard Private Group magazines, that allows users to collect and share articles, videos, and photos with specific groups in the form of customized digital magazines. Flipboard also introduced a new Web site where users can browse their feeds of news and social updates, complementing its existing mobile app.