• by Wendy Davis  @wendyndavis, September 8, 2004

Captivate Network, a division of Gannett Co. that operates a place-based video network in office building elevators, will soon break an Internet ad campaign as part of a bigger push to raise its profile with Madison Avenue media buyers.

The campaign, which also utilizes print media buys, will include USA Today.com and Forbes.com, said John Bigay, a spokesman for the Westford, Mass-based company.

The ads, designed by Visual Republique in Lawrence, Mass., are part of a larger initiative, aimed at convincing high-end marketers to advertise on Captivate televisions. The Web campaign includes three banner ads: "Yoga," "Skier," and "Beach." Yoga, which is typical of the three, shows a woman wearing exercise clothes and in a stretch position, next to an elevator button on which the floor number has been replaced with the word "attorney," while the following information flashes: "Age: 28; Income: $95k; Interest: Finding Balance." Next, the ad poses the question: "Sound like a customer you'd like to reach during the work day?" Finally, the tagline, "See Us At Work," appears.

Bigay said the campaign will run until mid-November, at which point it will taper off before starting again early next year.

Captivate currently shows ads on 4,500 screens in office towers, reaching a primarily upscale audience. According to Bigay, 60% of the office building employees who ride in elevators with its televisions are professionals and 66% have college degrees; their average age is 39, and the average household income is $100,000.