• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, February 26, 2008

Publicis' Denuo unit this morning announced a deal with video search engine blinkx to develop a set of "best practices" for advertising and marketing tied to online video. Among other things, the companies said they would collaborate on projects that would explore how the ad industry can deliver online video advertising campaigns that map to the right audience, are delivered in the right context, and run in the most appropriate form.

Details were not disclosed, but the companies said specific initiatives would be announced at a later date. A briefing with key clients and members of the press is planned for this evening in New York.

"The explosion of online video presents a new paradigm for advertisers with unique challenges and tremendous opportunities," Tim Hanlon, executive vice president and the executive in charge of ventures at Denuo said as part of this morning's statement. "With it comes an even greater technical challenge for connecting with audiences in ways that are contextually relevant and respectfully delivered- which is why we are excited to partner with blinkx."

Citing data indicating that 75% of U.S. online users watch online videos, blinkx CEO Suranga Chandratillake said blinkx plans to introduce a "broadband TV offering" later this year.

"By partnering with one of the advertising industry's top thought leaders in Denuo, we hope to collectively better understand this explosion of online video - and how companies can better connect with their users and key audiences via the use of smarter technology," he said.

blinkx's video search technology, which utilizes speech recognition, currently serves more than 50 million unique visitors each month.