Creative Agency: Critical Mass
Technology Vendor: Ultramercial, Inc.
Publisher(s): Salon.com
Launch Date: 11/1/2002
In considering Salon’s audience of the intelligent and upscale sophisticated readers, we wanted to ensure that their experience with Salon and the Ultramercial was simple and elegant, delivering on the promise of access to our premium content if they viewed and interacted with the online commercial. It was also important to provide our readers with the option to opt-out if they grew wary of the marketing message and return with ease to the page where they launched the commercial. Equally important is a simple and fast experience, in which the reader does not have to make adjustments or do special installments to view the commercial and access the content. We also sought out a brand that would have a synergy with our audience—offering a product our readers would respond to and want to learn more about.
- Cheryl Lucanergro, Senior Vice President, Ad Sales, Salon
Ultramercial is an interactive advertisement with an audience of one that not only provides a guaranteed view, but guaranteed viewer feedback, as well.
Ultramercial is unique in that the viewer enters into an agreement with the publisher and sponsor to view the creative in exchange for access to the publisher's premium content. We insure, through our backend technology, that the viewer really did complete the Ultramercial, and is entitled to receive a 12-hour "Day Pass" to all of Salon Premium.
Further, Salon can manage multiple Ultramercial sponsors down to the scale of each individual Salon reader, with both reach and frequency controls. This also includes targeting options, such as geographical, time-of-day, user platform, etc.
-Dana Jones, Ultramercial
This is one of those business models that might just work! Using an explicit "opt-in" advertising proposition, consumers can elect to pay with their money or their time in order to access Salon premium content.
Should they choose to volunteer their time, they are introduced to an Ultramercial experience from Mercedes Benz - which endorses or sponsors the day-pass to Salon Premium.
Besides the business model which I think is smart and sound, the execution is clean and engaging. Naturally the viewer can click through in less than 5 seconds, but chances are that they will linger a bit - especially with a highly interactive and inviting sequence of screens.
In addition, this approach scores through first-mover advantage. I found myself participating in the creative and learning quite a bit about some of the features of the new Merc.
I wrote about this new model in a previous Jaffe Juice