Not to be confused with “taking our head out of the sand,” AOL has launched a new nationwide online and offline ad campaign portraying the web portal as “emerging from behind the curtain,” signifying AOL.com is now open to everyone.
Emerging from behind the curtain is intended to signify that features once only available to paid customers, like email, are now available for free to the public.
Hotmail, Yahoo!, Excite, and Google all said, “why didn’t we think of that?”
The web portal said the effort is designed to highlight specific offerings at AOL, including entertainment through AOL Music, Moviefone, AOL Radio, AOL Sports, and AOL Television; news and information through AOL Search, Video News, Video On Demand, and Video Search; “convenience and getting things done” through services like AOL CityGuide, AOL Living, inStore, and MapQuest; and connecting with others via email, AIM, and AOL Pictures.
Kevin Conroy, executive vice president of AOL Media Networks explains that the new campaign is aimed at reaching customers where they are.
“With a changing media landscape, a multi-pronged approach, which also includes print, broadcast and outdoor billboards will more effectively reach today’s consumer, said Conroy.
AOL is working with a host of industry advertisers to carry out the campaign: Carat Fusion to implement its SEO and SEM goals; Atmosphere BBDO for creative online ad development; OMD for online media; and The Martin Agency with Initiative for offline advertising.
Atmosphere BBDO already began their slice of the campaign back in August, focusing on specific content areas to build view awareness. The ads are scheduled to run through the end of the year on over 100 websites.
