The idea behind kept ads is that Internet users might be more likely to engage with them on their own time than when the ad is first served. For instance, someone who goes to a site for a very specific purpose may see an ad that interests them but not be willing to engage with it for fear it will disrupt their original mission - particularly if filling out a registration form is required. Or someone browsing the Web at work might be less likely to click on an ad that interests them from their employer's computer than they would in the privacy of their own home.
The solution that AdKeeper is currently testing would allow those users to click on a box marked "save this ad", and then they can access it later to read it, register if necessary, share the ad with a friend, print it or whatever they decide. The AdKeeper program includes a measurement system called Keep Metrics that will identify the number of times an ad is kept, the number of users who kept it, and on which websites the ad was kept.
Kurnit will be launching AdKeeper sometime in early 2011, and he will be publicly releasing regular Keep Metrics reports to show which websites are leading the various kept-ads categories. Publishers can sign up for the AdKeeper program, which will track their progress and - if successful in the ad-keeping department - provide substantial incentive for advertisers.