Onsale Debuts Breakthrough in Online Advertising; Banner Ads Feature Live Auction Information
MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 24, 1999--Onsale,(R)Inc. (Nasdaq:ONSL), a leading Internet real-time retailer, today introduced another innovative online advertising campaign that lets consumers see Onsale's latest auction bids on it banner ads on Yahoo!, CNet, Infoseek and HotBot.
In April 1998, Onsale provided Yahoo! Computers with a live data feed of current Onsale auctions for computers, laptops, printers, modems, monitors, scanners, video cards and digital cameras. Seven months later, Onsale was the first company to showcase live online auctions in television advertising on Ziff-Davis' ZDTV Money Machine television show.
The latest campaign is designed to take advantage of the dynamic nature of the Internet and recreate the excitement of online auctions inside the banner itself. Consumers are encouraged to click-through as current pricing information on a number of products from Onsale's auctions is displayed. The information is updated in the banner ads every 15 minutes. The advertising campaign was developed by Onsale's interactive advertising agency, Lot21, and utilizes ActiveAds(sm) technology from Thinking Media.
"Part of the success of online auctions is the sense of urgency for customers to buy today, since products are usually available for limited periods at limited quantities," said Barry Peters, Onsale's director of customer acquisition. "We wanted to capture this urgency in our online ads, and create a compelling reason for consumers to click on the banners."
Lot21 believes that moving product as well as enhancing the user's experience is critical for future growth in new media. "Utilizing technology like ActiveAds(sm) to expand Onsale's goals in rich media advertising not only pushes commerce, but extends the brand," said Kate Everett-Thorp, president and CEO of Lot21 Interactive Advertising.
"Thinking Media's ActiveAds allow for banner ads that never sleep, which makes the technology uniquely suited for Onsale," said Adam Dinwiddie, interactive programmer at Thinking Media. "Ads utilizing this technology can dynamically call on any resource on the net - including Onsale's auction update databases. The ads also load quickly and require no plug-ins, which makes them well suited for high-traffic web sites."
About Onsale
Onsale (Nasdaq:ONSL) is the leading Internet real-time retailer providing low prices and personalized service through automation. Onsale atCost offers computer equipment at wholesale prices directly to businesses and consumers. Onsale atAuction offers bargains on excess merchandise and services through online auctions, such as personal computers, consumer electronics, sports and fitness equipment, and vacation packages. Onsale atCost and Onsale atAuction are located on the World Wide Web at www.onsale.com.
About Lot21
Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, Lot21 is an interactive marketing, media and advertising agency specializing in the creation of integrated marketing solutions for advertisers who want to better target and convert consumers to their brand, products and services. The team at Lot21 has a comprehensive knowledge of the Internet industry that helps clients exceed their parameters for success providing a true return-on-investment. For more information, access the company's web site at www.lot21.com.
About Thinking Media Corporation
Founded in 1995 and privately held, Thinking Media is the creator of two pioneering online advertising technologies. ActiveAds(sm) provides rich media functionality in banners that download initially in a file of only 7k. ActiveTrack(sm) relies on a patented method of Client-Side Tracking to offer superior reporting of online ad delivery and ROI in near-real time, without requiring centralized serving. Information on Thinking Media, ActiveAds and ActiveTrack may be found on the World Wide Web at
www.thethinkingmedia.com.
Note to Editors: Onsale is a registered trademark and Auction Supersite is a trademark of Onsale, Inc. ActiveAds, ActiveTrack, and Thinking Media are service marks of Thinking Media Corporation. All other companies and brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding the company and its expectations which involve certain risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties are described in more detail in the company's most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q and its 1997 Annual Report on Form 10-K under "Risk Factors."
CONTACT: Onsale, Inc.
Brian K. Fawkes, 650/470-2713
bfawkes@onsale.com
or
Lot21, Inc.
Molly Parsley, 415/227-2121
mollyp@lot21.com
or
Thinking Media Corp.
Don Westrich, 212/352-0606
don@thethinkingmedia.com
14:38 EST MARCH 24, 1999
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