Excite@Home Signs Broadband Ad Pact with Unilever

Excite@Home signed a deal with consumer goods giant Unilever to make online advertising on the @Home broadband service “a substantial component” of its interactive marketing strategy.

Although spending plans were not disclosed, Excite said the deal is the largest investment any consumer goods company has made to date in its broadband advertising programs.

Unilever was one of the first companies to advertise on the @Home broadband service, beginning with ads for its Lipton brand in 1997.

“We view broadband advertising as an important Internet marketing strategy for Unilever because it lets us present our message in a highly engaging format and connect very closely with our customers,” said Tony Romeo, chairman of Unilever’s North American Interactive Brand Center.

Excite@Home will provide program management, creative consultation, ad targeting, ad tracking and measurement of brand perception and purchase intent to Unilever. Unilever and Excite@Home also will collaborate in the design and implementation of third-party independent tracking and awareness studies that measure the effects of broadband advertising.

Last month, Unilever Nederland B.V. announced it would run online advertising campaigns on the @Home Nederland broadband service, a high-speed cable Internet service in the Netherlands. Unilever is one of the world’s largest consumer products companies with sales close to $50 billion. It produces and markets a wide range of foods, home and personal care products.