As Microsoft struggles to gain a stronger foothold in the Web advertising game, its research and development arms aren’t sitting still. The company’s adCenter Labs provided a sneak peek of some of its next-generation advertising concepts Tuesday at an event on Microsoft’s campus in Redmond, Wash. Microsoft’s display of innovation in digital advertising isn’t surprising, especially with the company’s purchase of advertising firm aQuantive last year and several recent commitments from top Microsoft executives like CEO Steve Ballmer to advertising as a key technology for the company. Last week’s $44.6 billion bid for Yahoo only adds to a sense that Microsoft is urgently trying to stay on top of digital advertising and compete with Google on the Web.

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