• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, May 23, 2005

In an effort to increase visibility with advertisers, WeatherBug said it plans to launch a print and online trade campaign today. The campaign is priced at more than $250,000, and will run through the summer in publications including Advertising Age, AdWeek, and MediaPost's publications.

The first of a number of print and online ads to be released over the summer features a cup of coffee with a hurricane satellite image floating on top like swirling cream. The site attracts some 18 million unique visitors and 700 million page views per month, according to a company statement.

WeatherBug is one of many non-browser applications competing for the 106 million consumers who, according to Nielsen//NetRatings, connect to the Internet regularly without the help of Internet Explorer or Firefox.

Michael Rosen, senior vice president of media sales and marketing at WeatherBug, said plans for the campaign began about four months ago when he came over from Bloomberg, where he served a similar role as senior vice president of sales and marketing.

The centerpiece of WeatherBug's new offering is its BrandWrap creative unit, which allows advertisers to completely integrate their brand with WeatherBug's tools and information.

Sponsor Select is another format being promoted, which encourages users to select from a list of sponsors listed by personal interests such as finance or health and beauty. The type of ads that users are served is an option they've never had, explained Rosen.

But, for this premium complete-buyout, advertisers can certainly expect to pay a premium, said Rosen, who described the deals as "six-figure programs." "This is a one-of-a-kind service, not to mention the advanced targeting we offer advertisers because our site requires registration, which includes user's ZIP codes." WeatherBug also asks people for their name, income, and occupation, among other personal information, and 80 percent of their campaigns are targeted by demographic, Rosen said.

Baskin-Robbins, the Campbell Soup Company, AstraZeneca's anti-ulcer drug Nexium, Blockbuster Inc., and Marriott are some of the advertisers already signed on, Rosen said.

The campaign was developed by Huey Partners, a spinoff of the recently dissolved Huey Paprocki, which has handled projects for Mizuno USA, Hitachi Power Tools, and COX Media. Huey Partners--formed by Huey Paprocki, co-founder Ron Huey, Michelle Montgomery, and Scot Crooker--signed WeatherBug as their first account.