Online Campaign to Push AOL's Broadband Service

America Online is preparing to launch its first major online ad campaign of the year. The effort, which begins June 1, promotes the Time Warner unit’s AOL for Broadband service.

The campaign was developed by Atmosphere BBDO, the interactive arm of BBDO Worldwide and AOL’s interactive agency of record since July 2003.

BBDO’s creative executions use a “Speed Meet…” catchphrase to emphasize that greater bandwidth is only part of AOL’s broadband offering and to address some of its other aspects. Both rich media and standard banner versions of the ads will run for a month, and will be followed by a larger campaign slated for later in the year, AOL said.

There are a total of five messages: “Speed Meet Self Expression,” “Speed Meet Greater Peace of Mind,” “Speed Meet Virus Patrol,” “Speed Meets Smarter Kids,” and “Speed Meet More Music Choices.”

The umbrella message is “Speed Meet Potential.”

Several companion ads dubbed “Now Playing” accompany the “Speed Meet…” units, and are intended to remind high-speed Web users about AOL’s ongoing music and sports content on AOL for Broadband.

The ads target existing broadband users, appearing adjacent to streaming media on a roster of sites that includes NYTimes.com, WashingtonPost.com, RollingStone.com, MTV.com and ABCNews.com. The media strategy was developed by Digitas.

“This campaign… is intended to speak directly to those who already have a basic high-speed Internet connection through their cable or DSL provider, but may not have AOL for Broadband,” said John Lane, VP of online marketing. “‘Speed Meet…’ is designed to showcase key elements of the AOL for Broadband service offering and persuade prospective members that a broadband connection alone is not enough.”