Egghead Launches Convergence Ad Campaign

Internet computer products retailer Egghead.com Inc. has begun a year- long program of live TV and Web convergence advertising starting on ZDTV’s Internet Tonight program.

The alliance between Egghead.com and ZDTV creates one of the first partnerships of convergence advertising: live television via ZDTV combined with real-time information from Egghead.com’s auction Web site.

“The agreement with ZDTV provides maximum flexibility to put up our Web auction promotional offers in real-time. This new approach eliminates the many steps and weeks of delay that it takes to create most typical television advertising. We are now able to get a product in front of a consumer immediately,” said Jon Brodeur, Egghead.com’s chief marketing officer.

Two advertisements for Egghead.com will air during each Internet Tonight television show. During the advertisement, a product from the Egghead.com auction site will be seen live on ZDTV. Spending was not disclosed.

The initial ads will focus on Egghead.com’s Web-based auction. However, over the course of the agreement, Egghead said it will expand its offers to include products at fixed prices, particularly bargains from its SurplusDirect liquidation center.

Internet Tonight is a daily, half-hour television program produced by ZDTV, an affiliate of Ziff-Davis, with a potential market reach of more than 11 million households.

“We believe that Egghead.com is ideally suited to participate as the Internet and television start coming together,” Brodeur said.