With well over 200,000 apps available in the App Store, it can be extremely difficult for developers to get their apps noticed. Cross Forward Consulting decided to try iAd for Developers, with its in-ad download capabilities, as a way to cut through the noise.

Unfortunately, the experiment was a failure. Cross Forward spent $1,251.75 to generate 84 downloads, or an average of around $15 for each download. Since the app costs just 99 cents, it clearly didn’t pan out.

The developer’s takeaway? “The expense of this experiment is at least cushioned by knowing that 60% of the price went straight into the pockets of my fellow developers, so I guess I just made a $751.05 donation to the beer funds of my peers. Drink Up!”