Beyond.com Launches TV Ads, Radio Spots for Holidays

Internet software store Beyond.com is launching its first television advertising campaign to further bolster holiday sales.

The Beyond.com TV ads feature a twinkling Santa Claus and a slightly hysterical and overworked elf who, having fallen behind schedule, discover the joy and convenience of buying software gifts at Beyond.com . The ads will air nationally, beginning tomorrow, in top Internet markets, including New York, San Francisco/San Jose and Seattle.

Spending was not disclosed. “We believe these ads combine the right symbolic mix of fantasy with reality,” said Brian Sroub, vice-president of marketing for Beyond.com. “Santa continues to be a magical figure for most people. The Internet this holiday is becoming a magical place to shop.”

The ads were created by Leagas Delaney, an advertising agency with dual headquarters in San Francisco and London. Last week, Beyond.com reported sales on its Web site rose 700 percent during the post-Thanksgiving holiday weekend, confirming industry forecasts that holiday shoppers are buying gifts in record numbers on the Internet.

Beyond.com has about 30,000 software stock-keeping units (SKUs) available for online purchase with more than 3,300 SKUs available for immediate, electronic delivery.