AOL to Run Super Bowl Ads

http://199.249.170.191/adweek/headlines/advertising_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1803466

NEW YORK America Online, which has been struggling to regain its buzz, has made a last minute end-run into the Super Bowl, in a unique promotion to push its fledgling AOL Broadband service and get in on the hype around Super Bowl advertising.

Sources said the company has made plans with virtually all of this year’s Super Bowl advertisers to have their ads run over AOL and AOL.com starting in the game’s fourth quarter, for consumers who would like to see this year’s spots again.

In terms of commercial time to promote the event, the company has only been able to buy one 15-second spot, but has also reached agreement with ABC for at least one mention of the event during the pre-game and during the game itself. BBDO, which is lead creative agency for HBO, a property of AOL Time Warner, was brought in at the last minute to produce the commercial, sources said. A BBDO representative declined comment, AOL executives could not immediately be reached for comment.

The New York agency consistently creates the most Super Bowl ads each year. This year, BBDO’s work will include spots for Pepsi brands Pepsi Twist, Sierra Mist and Diet Pepsi and for Visa.

— Catharine P.Taylor