User Generated Photo Ads Used As Status Updates

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for generating and utilizing photo advertisements (“ads”). In one embodiment, a photo advertisement is posted as a status update for a user via a social networking service. A plurality of filler images representing one or more participants is associated with a photo ad template having one or more photo wells. A photo advertisement based on the photo ad template is generated by an electronic device such that the associated plurality of filler images are inserted into the one or more photo wells in the photo ad template. A status update that includes the photo advertisement for presentation with the status update is initiated responsive to generating the photo advertisement.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 associating a plurality of filler images representing one or more participants with a photo ad template having one or more photo wells;   generating, by an electronic device, a photo advertisement based on the photo ad template such that the associated plurality of filler images are inserted into the one or more photo wells in the photo ad template; and   responsive to generating the photo advertisement, initiating a status update that includes the photo advertisement for presentation with the status update.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  comprising obtaining the photo ad template based on a geographic location of the user. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  comprising obtaining the photo ad template based on at least one of a good purchased by the user, a service purchased by the user, an event attended by the user, a website visited by the user, a website to which the user is logged-in, a listening experience of the user, and a viewing experience of the user. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the one or more participants comprise the user. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  comprising obtaining the photo ad template based on data relevant to the user and participant information that describes one or more potential participants. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the participant information comprises at least one of a number of potential participants, a gender of the one or more potential participants, age information for the one or more potential participants, user profile information for the one or more potential participants, user identifiers for the one or more potential participants, and geographic proximity to the user of the one or more potential participants. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  comprising identifying the one or more potential participants in geographic proximity includes at least one of using a wireless Near Field Communication (NFC) technique and querying a location-based service. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the participant information comprises a social proximity to the user of the one or more potential participants. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5  comprising querying a social networking service to identity other users that are within a defined degree of separation from the user in a social network maintained by the social networking service and are in geographic proximity to the user, wherein the plurality of potential participants comprise at least one of the other users identified by querying the social networking service. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the participant information comprises metadata associated with the filler images. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  comprising submitting the photo advertisement to a server computer. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein submitting the photo advertisement to the server computer comprises sending, to the server computer, (a) information that identifies the one of the photo ad template, (b) the filler images of the one or more participants, and (c) information that links the filler images of the one or more participants to the one or more photo wells in the photo ad template. 
     
     
         13 . A computing device comprising:
 a hardware communication interface; and   a hardware controller associated with the communication interface and adapted to:
 associate a plurality of filler images representing one or more participants with a photo ad template having one or more photo wells; 
 generate, by an electronic device, a photo advertisement based on the photo ad template such that the associated plurality of filler images are inserted into the one or more photo wells in the photo ad template; and 
 responsive to generating the photo advertisement, initiate a status update that includes the photo advertisement for presentation with the status update. 
   
     
     
         14 . The computing device of  claim 13  wherein the computing device is a user device of the user, and, in order to include the photo advertisement for presentation with the status update for the user, the controller is further adapted to submit the photo advertisement to a server computer such that the photo advertisement is used as the status update of the user. 
     
     
         15 . The computing device of  claim 14  wherein, in order to submit the photo advertisement to the server computer, the controller is further adapted to send the photo advertisement to the server computer. 
     
     
         16 . The computing device of  claim 14  wherein, in order to submit the photo advertisement to the server computer, the controller is further adapted to send, to the server computer, (a) information that identifies the photo ad template, (b) the filler images of the one or more participants, and (c) information that links the filler images of the one or more participants to the one or more photo wells in the photo ad template. 
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing software for instructing a controller of a computing device to:
 associate a plurality of filler images representing one or more participants with a photo ad template having one or more photo wells;   generate, by an electronic device, a photo advertisement based on the photo ad template such that the associated plurality of filler images are inserted into the one or more photo wells in the photo ad template; and   responsive to generating the photo advertisement, initiate a status update that includes the photo advertisement for presentation with the status update.   
     
     
         18 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 associating a photo ad template comprising one or more photo wells with a photo advertisement in response to a request from a user device;   receiving photo advertisement data from the user device for the photo advertisement such that a plurality of filler images of one or more participants identified for the photo advertisement is inserted into the one or more photo wells of the photo ad template to provide the photo advertisement; and   responsive to receiving the photo advertisement data, effecting publication of the photo advertisement as a status update for the user.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the photo advertisement data comprises the filler images of the one or more participants identified for the photo advertisement, and information that links the filler images of the one or more participants identified for the photo advertisement to the one or more photo wells of the photo ad template. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18  wherein associating a photo ad template includes associating a photo ad template based on a geographic location of the user. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18  wherein associating a photo ad template includes associating a photo ad template based on at least one of a good purchased by the user, a service purchased by the user, an event attended by the user, a website visited by the user, a website to which the user is logged-in, a listening experience of the user, and a viewing experience of the user. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18  wherein associating a photo ad template includes associating a photo ad template based on data relevant to the user and participant information that describes one or more potential participants. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the participant information comprises at least one of a number of potential participants, a gender of the one or more potential participants, age information for the one or more potential participants, user profile information for the one or more potential participants, user identifiers for the one or more potential participants, and geographic proximity to the user of the one or more potential participants. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising:
 storing the photo advertisement; 
 receiving an ad request from a requestor; and 
 providing the photo advertisement to the requestor in response to the ad request. 
 
     
     
         25 . A server computer comprising:
 a hardware communication interface; and   a hardware controller associated with the communication interface and adapted to:
 associate a photo ad template comprising one or more photo wells with a photo advertisement in response to a request from a user device; 
 receive photo advertisement data from the user device for the photo advertisement such that a plurality of filler images of one or more participants identified for the photo advertisement is inserted into the one or more photo wells of the photo ad template to provide the photo advertisement; and 
 responsive to receiving the photo advertisement data, effect publication of the photo advertisement as a status update for the user. 
   
     
     
         26 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing software for instructing a controller of a computing device to:
 associating a photo ad template comprising one or more photo wells with a photo advertisement in response to a request from a user device;   receiving photo advertisement data from the user device for the photo advertisement such that a plurality of filler images of one or more participants identified for the photo advertisement is inserted into the one or more photo wells of the photo ad template to provide the photo advertisement; and   responsive to receiving the photo advertisement data, effecting publication of the photo advertisement as a status update for the user.