'LA Times' Site Bows Fake Front-Page Ad

LA Times Home Page

The Los Angeles Times Web site appears to be taking a page from the newspaper's print edition with advertising that includes a convincing fake -- a mock-up of the newspaper's home page. It remains to be seen, however, whether the online stunt produces as much negative publicity as print iterations.

The ad for Kaiser Permanente uses the full-page takeover touting newborn and infant healthcare under the insurance company's "Thrive" program. The first time a visitor arrives at the Web site, the upper half of the LAT home page is covered by a fake but nearly identical home page with similar format, layout and content headings.

The fake page includes links to articles with titles such as "How to keep cool on a hot day," "Giving back can be good for you," and "Where do babies come from? Ask elementary students and the answers can be quite humorous." A photogenic toddler then emerges from the background and begins dismantling the fake home page, conveying the message that "Babies are a bigger responsibility than you can imagine."

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The Kaiser takeover is identified as an advertisement with a small disclaimer in light gray font, and the comical mayhem inflicted by the baby should alert even unobservant users that the content isn't for real. However, the fake upper half of the Web page is juxtaposed with real content in the lower half, increasing the chances of confusion.

It also increases opportunities for unsought adjacencies between advertising and editorial content. Around noon on Monday, the first real content below the ad in the "L.A. Now" news feed included jarring headlines like "Child deaths rise among those monitored by L.A. County family services, records show" and "Opening statements underway in medical hearing for 'Octomom' doctor."

The online takeover comes on the heels of several front-page takeovers of the Los Angeles Times print edition, some of which garnered harsh criticism. In 2009, the newspaper took heat for allowing an ad resembling an article on the front cover of the newspaper.

The ad, for NBC's new LA police drama "Southland," was run over the objections of editor Russ Stanton and a dozen other senior editors. In an interview with TheWrap, LAT Executive Editor John Arthur called the front-page ad "horrible," "unfortunate" and "a mistake."

In March of this year, the LAT allowed an eye-catching cover wrap to promote Disney's "Alice in Wonderland," starring Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter. The wrap featured Depp's character's face, superimposed on what appears to be the front page of the newspaper -- but was actually a fake. Stanton and other editors protested the ad, but were overruled by the business side of the newspaper.

This summer, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors sent an open letter to the Tribune CEO chastising the company and asking that it cease publishing ads on the cover of the Los Angeles Times intended to look like editorial content.

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