And Now, the Center for Millennium Hype

M&M/Mars, in association with New York agency InterActive, launched its Center for Millennium Hype, a new section on the M&M’s Studios Web Site that has recently undergone a major redesign.

The redesign integrates rich illustration and new navigation. Dynamic HTML, or DHTML, was integrated into the newly designed home page to add more excitement to the user experience, the company said. Billings were not disclosed.

The Center for Millennium Hype is a whimsical contest site playing on the fact that M&M in Roman numerals equals 2000, as in the upcoming turn of the century.

“Using innovative technology such as DHTML enabled us to provide a higher level of interactivity for the user, without them experiencing additional burdens that traditional plug-ins may impose,” said David Lewis, Associate Creative Director for InterActive8.

InterActive8 Inc. was founded in 1993 and is known for producing highly creative interactive marketing and advertising campaigns. InterActive8 has produced award-winning work for some of the world’s leading companies, including M&M/Mars, AT&T WorldNet, A&E Television Networks, Citibank, United Media, and The New York Times.

Separately, Channelseven.com, in association with the AdSmart Network, awarded InterActive8 an iAd Award for best cross-media integration for 1997 for its M&M’s Impostor campaign. The banner promotion offered online consumers an opportunity to interact with the characters, working with Red and Yellow to find the gray impostor.