Yahoo, Ad Council Contest Offers Charities Free Web Ads
Yahoo and the Ad Council are offering to give one lucky non-profit organization a free online display ad campaign this fall as part of a promotion to introduce a new ad unit in Yahoo Mail.
The ad format, called Yahoo Tandem, combines a 300×250 unit on the Yahoo mail welcome page with a 728×90 banner, and it can incorporate synched animation, floating rich media and streaming video to tell what the Web portal call a “compelling story” to the 32 million users a day who log into Yahoo Mail around the world.
And for the Tandem’s maiden voyage on November 18, Yahoo and the Ad council trade association are offering to give over a week of Tandem exposure to a deserving charity group. U.S. agencies currently running campaigns affiliated with the Ad Council can join the “Create a Cause” contest by registering at a special Web site and then uploading their ideas for using the new ad in either new or existing non-profit campaigns to an FTP site. Deadline for submissions is Oct. 23.
The winning campaign, selected by an expert committee including IAB president and CEO Randall Rothenberg, AAAA president and CEO Nancy Hill and Ad Council president Peggy Conlon, will be named on November 4. Criteria for the contest include the best use of innovation and the most creative use of Tandem’s unique abilities to engage users with intelligence, humor and value.
In addition to appearing on the Yahoo Mail welcome page—a prize valued at $475,000—the winning charity’s ad will also get a run of network campaign on yahoo’s other portal properties at an additional valuation of $280,000, for a total award of %755,000 in free online advertising.
“Agencies are doing an unbelievable job of building smart campaigns for good causes and helping non-profits break into digital in meaningful ways,” Yahoo vice president of agency development Beth Lawrence said in a release. “This contest with the Ad Council provides a fun and creative way for agencies to showcase their creative genius, get some recognition for their favorite non-profits, and drum up interest and visibility for an important cause.”
