You've seen them. Those massive, sprawling banners that stretch across the very top of a website, almost hugging the browser's edges. That is the 970 x 90 ad, often called the Super Leaderboard. It’s huge. It’s unavoidable. And honestly, it’s one of the most misunderstood real estate pieces in digital advertising today.
Most people think bigger is always better. In some cases, that’s true. If you want someone to notice your brand the second a page loads, a 970-pixel wide banner does the job. But there is a catch. If you don't use that space right, it just becomes expensive white space that users subconsciously ignore. Ad blindness is a real thing, and the Super Leaderboard is its biggest target.
The IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) introduced this format years ago to give desktop users a more cinematic experience. It was meant to replace the standard 728 x 90 leaderboard, which started feeling a bit "skinny" as monitor resolutions climbed. Now, it's a staple for premium publishers like The New York Times or ESPN.
What actually makes a 970 x 90 ad work?
It isn't just about the size. It’s about the "billboard effect." When a user lands on a page, the 970 x 90 ad is typically the first thing the browser renders. This is "above the fold" in its purest form. Because it’s wider than the standard content well on many sites, it often overlaps into the margins, creating a sense of scale that smaller units can't match.
The psychology here is simple: dominance. Large ads signal authority. If a brand can afford the top-tier placement, we instinctively assume they are a major player. But you have to be careful with the creative. Since it’s so wide, a common mistake is centering a tiny logo and leaving 400 pixels of empty blue background on either side. That is a waste of money.
Smart designers use the horizontal span to tell a story. Think of it like a timeline. You can have the product shot on the left, the value proposition in the middle, and the call-to-action (CTA) on the far right. This forces the eye to travel across the entire header of the website. It’s a subtle way to ensure the user "processes" the brand before they start scrolling down to read the actual article.
Comparing the 970 x 90 to its smaller siblings
Is it better than the 728 x 90? Usually. According to various Google AdSense benchmarks, the 970 x 90 ad generally commands a higher CPM (Cost Per Mille) because it’s a "premium" slot. However, it’s strictly a desktop play. You can’t shove 970 pixels onto an iPhone screen without breaking the entire layout. This means if your traffic is 90% mobile, investing heavily in Super Leaderboard creative might be a waste of your design team’s time.
There’s also the 970 x 250, which people call the "Billboard." It’s the same width but much taller. While the Billboard is even more intrusive, the 970 x 90 is often preferred by publishers who don't want to push their actual content too far down the page. It’s a balance. You want the ad to be seen, but you don't want the user to get annoyed because they have to scroll three times just to see the first paragraph of text.
The technical side of the Super Leaderboard
Let’s talk specs. If you’re building one, you aren't just making a static JPEG anymore. Most high-performing 970 x 90 ads are now HTML5-based. This allows for animation, video embeds, or even interactive elements like a mini-carousel.
- File Size: Usually capped at 150KB to 200KB for initial load.
- Animation: Keep it under 15 seconds. Seriously. Any longer and the user has already scrolled past it.
- Fallback: You always need a static .gif or .png for browsers that struggle with heavy scripts.
One thing people forget is the "pushdown" capability. Some 970 x 90 ad units are designed to expand when hovered over or clicked. They can grow into a 970 x 415 monster that covers half the screen. It’s aggressive. It works for movie trailers or car launches where visual impact is everything. But for a local insurance broker? It might be overkill.
Why Google Discover loves high-quality imagery
You might wonder how a banner ad relates to Google Discover. It’s about the assets. Google’s ecosystem is increasingly visual. When you create high-resolution imagery for a large format like the 970 x 90, those same assets often feed into your broader display campaigns. Google’s "Responsive Display Ads" will take your images and crop them into various sizes. If you start with a high-quality, wide-format visual, the automated versions usually look much better.
Common mistakes that kill your ROI
Stop putting a "Buy Now" button in the dead center. Just don't. When people look at a wide header, their eyes tend to scan in an F-pattern or a Z-pattern. If the most important information is buried in the middle, it gets lost in the "noise" of the website’s own navigation menu.
💡 You might also like: NVIDIA Earnings Call Transcript August 2025: What Most People Get Wrong
Another big one: ignoring the background. Since the 970 x 90 ad is so thin (only 90 pixels tall), the background color needs to contrast sharply with the website it’s appearing on. If the site is white and your ad is white with no border, it looks like a glitch. It looks like the site failed to load. Use a border or a bold background color to "box in" your message.
Also, watch your font size. You have 90 pixels of height. If you try to fit three lines of text, it becomes illegible. Stick to one punchy headline. Five words max. If you can’t say it in five words, the Super Leaderboard isn't the right place for that message.
The future of wide-format display
We are seeing a shift toward "fluid" ads. Instead of a fixed 970 x 90, many modern ad servers use containers that scale based on the user's screen width. But the 970 width remains a benchmark because it fits perfectly within the standard 960-1000px content containers used by millions of sites.
Programmatic bidding for this size is also getting more competitive. Because there is usually only one Super Leaderboard per page, you are competing with every other brand for that "king of the hill" spot. This drives prices up, but it also means the quality of the ads in this slot is generally higher. You rarely see low-effort, "ugly" ads in a 970 x 90 slot because the floor price is too high for bottom-feeders.
Actionable steps for your next campaign
If you’re ready to pull the trigger on a 970 x 90 ad campaign, start by auditing your current desktop traffic. Look at your Google Analytics. If your desktop users have a high "Time on Page" metric, the Super Leaderboard is a goldmine. They are sticking around long enough to actually see the ad.
👉 See also: Net zero customer service: What most companies are getting wrong about sustainability
Next, talk to your designers about "negative space." Don't let them crowd the banner. The best 970 x 90 ads feel airy. They feel like a premium billboard on a highway, not a cluttered flyer on a telephone pole.
Lastly, test your landing page. There is no point in paying a premium for a 970 x 90 placement if the link leads to a slow, ugly mobile-only site. The journey from the "Super" banner to the checkout needs to be seamless.
- Identify your top-performing desktop pages.
- Design creative specifically for the 970 x 90 aspect ratio—don't just stretch a smaller ad.
- Use a clear, high-contrast CTA on the right-hand side of the banner.
- Monitor your "Viewability" score in your ad manager; if it’s below 50%, your ad might be loading too slowly or is being cut off by the site's CSS.
- Iterate every two weeks to avoid creative fatigue.
The 970 x 90 isn't going anywhere. It’s the closest thing the web has to a "hero image" for advertisers. Use the width, respect the height, and keep the message simple. That’s how you win this particular corner of the internet.