Jeeves Goes Out in Style

Ask.com is giving Jeeves the butler a proper farewell, announcing yesterday that it will send him off with a Jeeves’ Retirement mini-site. It’s no surprise to anyone that Jeeves was leaving, but the official news leaves little hope for a change of heart from IAC chairman Barry Diller.

It’s certainly a good way to harness the sentiments around the consumer-generated content that has sprung up, such as the SaveJeeves.com site. It’s also a way for them to soften the blow and ease their brand away from Ask Jeeves to Ask.com. Writing in the Ask Jeeves blog, SVP of search Jim Lanzone chronicled the evolution of Jeeves, both the character and the company, and said it’s time for a refresh of the Ask Jeeves brand.

“When it comes to our product, we’re continuously evolving and improving. Our brand deserves a clean break to open people up to seeing how good we are,” Lanzone wrote. “So, we’re going to take the leap and strike out for a fresh identity, one that fits more with who we’ve become than who we used to be. One that revolves more around the site, and what it does for our users, rather than around a character.”