I used a computer without AdBlock the other day, and it was like stepping back into 1999 with every page saturated with the 21st century equivalent of animated GIFs and auto-play MIDIs.
An alternative ad network isn't as far fetched as it might seem. Clearly delineated simple ads were a key differentiator in early iterations of Google Search.
Perhaps what we need is a "ethical ads" network, with strict requirements on what could and could not be done:
1. Plain text and link only, with clear separation of content and advertising.
2. No user tracking (Maybe with explicit opt-in? And even then with as-good-as-possible anonymization of the stored data.)
3. A deal with AdBlock and competitors to share a cut of the revenue, in exchange for allowing Ethical Ads through.
If advertisers and ad networks keep following the current trajectory, there will come a day when ads are simply too intrusive, and ad blocking will go (even more) completely mainstream.
Rich media doesn't do advertisers any good if no one ever sees their ads.