Whoopi Goldberg Stars in Flooz Commercial

Actress Whoopi Goldberg takes center stage in a multi-faceted advertising campaign developed by Hanft Byrne Raboy & Partners to promote the online gift currency, Flooz.

Goldberg has also committed to being a business partner as she stars in the $8 million advertising campaign that launched the week of Oct. 18, the company said.

Goldberg will appear in the television, outdoor, radio and online advertising as well as on the Flooz.com Web site.

There will be Whoopi gift cards, Whoopi emails and Whoopi promotions. She will appear both live and as an animated character on the home page and throughout the site.

“We’re delighted to be working with Whoopi as our partner. Whoopi is the essence of Flooz. She is funny, but smart; she’s got attitude, but is dignified; she’s on the edge, but is trustworthy and universally appealing,” said Robert Levitan, CEO and cofounder of Flooz.com and co-founder of iVillage.

The initial advertising consists of seven different TV spots. The 15- and 30-second spots, were directed by 1999 Emmy Award winner Ted Demme.

The campaign will also include outdoor advertising on wallscapes and buses in New York City and San Francisco, as well as project Whoopi in radio and online messages.

Consumers purchase Flooz with a credit card, and then send it as a gift by email to a friend, family member, business associate or someone you’ve just met. Recipients can spend their Flooz right away at the various Web stores or keep it in reserve in their personal Flooz account.

Hanft Byrne Raboy & Partners Inc. is a $75 million creative branding agency whose clients include Twinlab, Hertz, Showtime, InterNAP.com Network Services, Sony Music, Laptop Lane and PRBar.com.