WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Nov. 30, 2001 (PRIMEZONE) -- United Online, Inc. (Nasdaq:UNTD), a leading Internet service provider (ISP) that commenced operations in September 2001 with the merger of NetZero and Juno Online Services, today launched a new national television ad campaign that will air through the holiday season. The newly created ads introduce consumers to the United Online brand, while jointly promoting NetZero and Juno, the two leading brands in the value-priced ISP segment. Combined, both services had more than 6.1 million active users at September 30, 2001.
The campaign includes two newly created ads that focus on the value-priced offerings of both NetZero and Juno, encouraging consumers to "make the switch" and save money on their monthly Internet access fees. The company is also using one of its highly effective black and white "Defender" ads to promote the NetZero free service. All three ads will be running on national cable throughout the holiday season -- traditionally a very big time of year for consumers to sign up for a new ISP. Ads begin running in rotation this week.
The entire process for creating the new commercials -- writing, scripting, direction, production, editing and post-production -- was executed by United Online's in-house creative team. By developing the ads in-house, United Online estimates that the company saved hundreds of thousands of dollars in production costs per advertisement.
"We are excited to be presenting the United Online name to consumers for the first time since our merger was completed in September," said Brian Woods, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of United Online. "Our goal with this campaign is to aggressively educate consumers about the money they can save by switching to a quality Internet service like NetZero or Juno for about half the price of many other ISPs. Our primary objective is clearly to grow our pay subscriber base, but it is also important to continue to promote our free offerings, since a large portion of our pay subscribers have come to us from the free service -- a key component of our strategy for cost-effective growth.
"We are proud of what our creative team has accomplished, and I continue to be impressed that we can create such high-quality ads in-house, at a fraction of the cost of using an outside agency," added Woods.
About United Online
United Online is a leading Internet Service Provider (ISP). The company commenced operations in September 2001 as the result of its acquisition of NetZero and Juno Online Services -- two of the leading Internet access brands in the United States and Canada. Through its subsidiaries, United Online offers Internet access services in more than 5,000 cities. The company is headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., with offices in New York City and Hyderabad, India. United Online's common stock is traded on the Nasdaq National Market under the ticker symbol "UNTD."
For more information about United Online and its Internet access services, please visit www.unitedonline.net.