Epinions.com Uses Members for First Television Campaign

Epinions.com, a site that allows members to review products and services, tapped reviewers from its site to appear in its first multi-million dollar television ad campaign.

The ads, created by Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, feature reviewers talking about products, just as they do on Epinions.com. To find the people used for these ads, the company sifted through a selection of its most passionate reviewers.

One spot shows a woman holding a Medela breast and explaining why she thinks it is a great product. Another features a snowboarder dissatisfied with the skiers-only Alta Resort in Utah. In the third ad, a man tests a Sierra Designs tent by bolting it to the back of his pick-up truck and taking it through a car wash.

“Our community relies on credible reviews by real people,” said Nirav Tolia, co-founder of Epinions.com. “Our advertising campaign reflects the passion our reviewers have about the things they love and hate.”

The company also involved its membership in testing the advertisements before they begin airing. It posted video of the commercials on its Web site, and allowed users to review them.

The ads will start airing Monday in Austin, Boston, New York, San Francisco and Seattle.