• by Ken Liebeskind , March 29, 2001

By Ken Liebeskind

Flicker Media, Santa Monica, CA, hopes to capture advertiser attention by streaming TV quality commercials to selected websites.

The four month old company, which launched Flicker media two weeks ago, will create, produce and place ads on sites it selects, developing third party affiliate relations with the sites.

The third party affiliateships distinguish Flicker Media from other rich media companies like Bluestreak and EyeWonder, which don't select individual sites but stream their ads on DoubleClick and other ad networks. Flicker Media's president Jonah Hillman calls that a "weak targeting effort," claiming his company will succeed by using targeted sites that will "facilitate business online by giving end users media they want to see and enhance purchasing intent."

Flicker Media's streaming ads, called flickers, work this way: visitors to a Web site will see a teaser graphic with an accompanying tag line within a RealNetwork window. When they click the window, a 17 to 22 second commercial plays. Then visitors are encouraged to click a button to take them to a sponsor's Web site, which will be a landing page designed by Flicker Media that may have ecommerce applications, Hillman says.

The spots can be downloaded by the visitor and sent as email to friends.

Hillman says the commercials are TV quality, but differ from traditional TV commercials because they are not 30s and 60s.

The company has one client so far, Speedo, which plans to advertise its swimwear with flickers on American Swimming Association and other swimming related websites. The ad will open with an image of an Olympic swimmer doing the butterfly stroke with the word "Powerstroke" as the tag line, which draws visitors into the commercial.

Hillman is lining up other advertisers and websites now, but declined to name them.

He says the Flicker ads will be produced by Hollywood directors and cinematographers. He declined to name them as well.

The reason he wouldn't name advertisers or websites is because he hasn't signed any deals yet. But Flicker Media is a brand new company, so it will take some time. He says he is negotiating with ad agencies, online marketing firms and corporate clients and plans to make announcements within a few weeks.

Samples of Flicker Media are available at the company's website www.flickermedia.com.

- Ken Liebeskind may be reached at kenrunz@aol.com