K-Fed Launches Search Engine

What do discarded Hollywood husbands do post-breakup? Alert the tabloids. Tinsel Town's least-employable male ingénue, Kevin Federline, has launched a branded search engine, powered by Yahoo, in collaboration with Web media firm Proedge.com. And it even comes with paid search ads.

The new site, available at http://searchwithkevin.prodege.com, promises to put Federline's famed discerning judgment to work for ordinary Web users, with an added incentive: Searchers are automatically entered in a contest to celebrate Federline's birthday(s) with him in Los Angeles, on March 21st, and Las Vegas, on March 24th--billed as "a once in a lifetime opportunity."

The Web search page, which bears the motto "Play With Fire," is a promotion for Federline's new album, "Playing With Fire," which debuted in October 2006 to mixed reviews. (The six most popular tags chosen by visitors to Amazon.com, in order: "talentless," "garbage," "crap," "laughable," "idiot" and "music to make you long for the sweet release of death.")

The page includes a photo inset of the album cover--depicting Federline with a lit cigarette, poker chips, a deck of cards and a glass of whiskey that has been set alight. To illustrate his versatility, a larger, virtually identical photo hovers above. Here, he trades in a rumpled white button-down for a velvet smoking jacket. The whiskey has been extinguished.

Although Federline's music can't boast universal appeal, the search engine branded with his name, is counting on his night-out ploy to lure visitors. Overall traffic numbers were not available, but the chance to "win tickets to Kevin's private birthday party" appears to be drawing some fans.

The Web site advises users: "The best way to win a prize is to make SearchWithKevin.com your primary search engine, and use it whenever you need to search the Web." To make this easier, it encourages users to "seamlessly integrate your searches directly into your browsing experience by using the branded 'search with Kevin' toolbar and plugin!"

Buyer beware: users are limited to 20 qualifying searches per day and are duly forewarned: "clicking on search results or sponsored links will not increase your chances of winning."

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