Blending Question For New Site

I'm working on a new site, and I haven't quite figured out how to more closely blend one of my ad units on the main page.
Look down the left column, and you'll see the 160x600.
http://bigcitytravels.com/

Anyone have any tips for a better blending technique when there is a background image involved (within the TOS, of course)?

If anyone can help, I figure its DP folks!

Also having a problem getting that particular ad unit to target page content.
A similar page with the ad outside the navigation column picks up the content very nicely:
http://bigcitytravels.com/healthyeating.html

Any ideas how to get the main page ad unit to focus?

Thanks!

 

Gradient blending is hard as you can never make it look just right. I would perhaps suggest having that Ad unit display picture ads only. Or sign up for an affiliate of some kind and use picture banners from them.

Then place a Google ad unit below the Travel Articles, that would keep you ads front and center.

 

Actually, I already have affiliate ads in the way of search boxes on the right- and I definately don't want to spam it up by throwing ads out into the content area.

I thought I recalled somebody using a code that is within the TOS to get a transparent BG, but that doesn't sound feasible as I type it.....LOL

 

I don't think there is a solution to blending with the gradient background. Actually a non-gradient background wouldn't look bad.

I think the placement of your ads is as good as you can get it. You are right that you would not want to block them into your content since the content column is so narrow.

 

Well you can't do it, just simple, and don't try to modify the code to do it, maybe you can change the 160x600 ad with 3 125x125 button ad, where each one of the units use a different background color simulating a gradient

 

Any ideas on why that particular location is not serving up relevant ads?

 

you could try and put the ad in a div and center it.