HTML5 might be an option if the requirements are simple animation and interactivity is very minimal or left out. However, for nearly all of the banner campaigns we’ve worked on, it would be impossible for something like SWIFFY to convert to HTML. They either use too much interactivity or rely on streaming video to display content.

Indeed, it is rare that a client will have a budget (or timeline) to do separate native apps from the ground up for a campaign. Doing native dev on iOS, Android, and possibly Win Mobile or Blackberry is pretty unrealistic in most cases. AIR presents a solid strategy when the scope of the app’s features are capable cross-platform or specific types of apps targeted at one platform. Currently it may not be the best when it needs to feel like a native app with lots of components or if hardware acceleration is required. But if you can develop one app code base and publish to multiple platforms with the same result as if you had done them natively, that is a huge advantage. I’m curiously awaiting the announcements for the next major version. It sounds like hardware accelerated Stage3D will be available. And Native Extensions seem promising. That said I don’t think learning native iOS or Android dev would ever be a bad move… Though I think most interactive devs have a pretty full plate already.

Either way, well said! May 2012 be the year of the right tool for the job.