Nokia (NYSE: NOK) is planning to roll out “Ad Labs” to help traditional advertising agency staff get their heads around the “black art” of mobile advertising, a move they hope will boost the sector, reports the Guardian. Nokia VP and head of advertising Mike Baker said the handset maker wanted to be a “catalyst” in the mobile ad ecosystem, which he acknowledged was still seen somewhat as a “black art practiced in a cottage-industry fashion.” He also estimated that the global mobile ad industry would be worth $1.72 billion this year alone.

Interestingly, Baker did not believe that “reach and measurement issues” were to blame for the slow growth of mobile advertising. “It is creative that is holding the medium back,” he said, noting that there were not enough “practitioners” in planning and creative concepting [for mobile ad campaigns].

Ad Lab will open in Boston and London and will first work with the handset maker’s agency partners, including JWT, Wieden & Kennedy, Lowe Worldwide, RG/A and MediaCom.

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