Skype has rolled out new display ad units called Conversation Ads that will appear within the calling window of users who do not have Skype Credit or subscriptions when they’re making  Skype-to-Skype audio calls using Windows.

Photo: what Conversation Ads look like, from blogs.skype.com

The Conversations Ads as a good chance for marketers to reach its target audience that uses Skype “in a place where they can have meaningful conversations about brands in a highly engaging environment. Skype is already at the center of meaningful conversations, where families, friends, and colleagues spend time together,” said Skype’s Sandhya Venkatachalam in a blogpost.

From now, when you make a 1:1 to another Skype user, both of you will see relevant to your conversation topic content that could spark additional topics for you to discuss. Though it may be irritating for users who, according to the company, make 1.8 billion hours of videos calls each year, brands now have a brilliant opportunity for additional advertising options. However, Skype says that Conversation Ads would “generate fun” and make it more useful for people.

Conversation Ads can be purchased in 55 markets where Skype is available for Windows users, which is not surprising as Skype was acquired by Microsoft last year. While Skype call quality will remain the same, ads will appear silently and run during the conversation. Skype has been testing the Ads for quite a long time and worked out what kind of advertising works best in the Skype environment. The company also says it will continue to test, learn and make improvements to the service. Companies can learn more about the advertising options here.