New Ad Formats Buried?

Digg, the popular sharing site for all things web, have just launched a new advertising functionality.

Advertisers can buy a placement on the front page that will appear as if it is one of the featured pages, making it a more integrated option than simply placing standard or rich media.

In principle this is a great idea, but as with many great innovations there is a risk... in this case for the advertiser. Not only can people 'digg' the post but they will also be given the ability to 'bury' it.

This is effectively giving users the control to say whether a brand's ads are good or bad, and could potentially generate negative WOM if a placement isn't well receieved. Is that something that advertisers will really want to pay for?

There is an article over at Download Squad with some user reactions if you want to know a little more...