Execs and Accounts for November 20, 2002

24/7 Real Media to rep all-hotels.com; WildTangent builds an advergame for BellSouth; Overture names Bala Iyer to board

24/7 Real Media has signed an ad representation agreement with All-Hotels Limited, a subsidiary of Online Travel Corporation (OTC). The agreement gives 24/7 Real Media exclusive rights to sell ads and sponsorships for all-hotels.com, which will use 24/7 Real Media’s Open AdStream technology for its ad serving management needs.

Through previous agreements with London-based OTC, 24/7 Real Media already provides similar repping and serving services to other OTC consumer travel sites, including Bargainholidays.com and Onlinetravel.com.

“We have a terrific relationship with 24/7 Real Media and are very pleased with what they have accomplished to date,” said John Bevan, general manager of OTC. “The addition of all-hotels.com to our roster of sites gives 24/7 Real Media an even stronger package to sell to advertisers, and we look forward to continuing to grow with 24/7 Real Media in the months ahead.”

Game developer WildTangent and BellSouth have launched a new “advergame,” called BellSouth FastAccess DSL Racing. WildTangent built the game for BellSouth to promote its high-speed DSL service.

Before deciding to play the Web-based game, the user is confronted with a warning that the game’s optimum version will take 25 seconds with DSL versus eight minutes with dialup. Once in the game, players customize their virtual stock cars and race two laps while collecting “race credits,” which can then be spent to upgrade a car’s engine and tires for better performance.

Players are further challenged by the presence of “dial-up potholes” and “cable modem speedbumps” that slow players’ cars down in the game. There are links throughout the site that take players to the FastAccess Web site to learn more about the features and benefits of the DSL service.

“FastAccess DSL Racing provides a great gaming experience for consumers and doubles as a marketing campaign that builds a community of players,” said Dave Madden, executive VP of sales and marketing for WildTangent.

Overture Services has named Bala Iyer, senior VP and CFO of Conexant Systems, to its board of directors. Iyer, who becomes the paid search player’s eighth board member, is responsible for all of his company’s financial operations, as well as strategy and business development. Before joining Conexant, he served as CFO of VLSI Technology, now Philips Semiconductor.

“The expansion of Overture’s board of directors ensures that the company will continue to benefit from a wide range of skills and independent thinking,” said Bob Kavner, chairman of Overture’s board.

Interactive marketer DNA Studio has tapped Jon Caddell to head the company’s new Atlanta office, effective immediately. Caddell joins DNA Studio from Red Sky and Agency.com, where he worked extensively with The Coca-Cola Company and other Atlanta-based corporations. Caddell will build DNA Studio’s presence in the Southeast as well as oversee projects.

“DNA has built an incredible reputation developing interactive experiences for the world’s largest corporate brands and entertainment properties,” said Caddell. “It’s a pleasure to join a company that has proven itself as a leader in an environment that has claimed many companies in this business.”

Barclays Global Investors (BGI) has tapped Real Branding, a San Francisco-based interactive agency, to handle its online direct marketing. The i-shop will provide online creative strategy and campaign execution for BGI’s iShares Index Funds tools, products and strategies.

“We’re excited to bring our agency’s combined years of recruitment, direct response and CRM expertise to this global leader,” said Mark Silva, founder and principal of Real Branding. “Barclays Global Investors represents another example of how our strategic communications methodologies apply to businesses of every size and industry sector.”

Koroberi has been named agency of record for Cary, N.C.-based CipherOptics. The Carrboro, N.C.-based full-service marketer will begin by assisting CipherOptics with the launch of its Security Gateway line speed encryption appliance. The agency’s work will also include analyst and media relations and overall marketing communications support.

Chatmag.com, an Internet chat directory and help site, has hired Cortney Fielding as director of ad sales. Fielding will lead Chatmag’s sales team and oversee all ad sales within Chatmag’s topic pages, private chat network, and tourism sites, including Jamaicanescapes.com and Puertoricoescapes.com. She is a veteran of the Gainesville, Fla.-area advertising community.

For more breaking news on account action and executive moves, visit ChannelSeven.com.

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