From January 11 1999, Netscape Communications Corp will advertise during prime time TV shows like ER, The X-Files and The Practice, as well as in print publications like Rolling Stone, Time, Newsweek, Wired, the New Yorker and Conde Nast Traveler. Throw in drive time radio ads, billboards in New York and San Francisco and the familiar online banner ads, and the company reckons it will reach 85% of internet users. The cross-media campaign is designed to educate users about the existence of Netscape’s not especially successful portal offering, NetCenter. If you’re thinking the company is taking a scattergun approach, think again. Apparently the point of using all those outlets is to reach the so-called educated masses, the 30 million adults between 25 and 49 years of age who are computer literate and went to college. Wired News reports that the campaign will be edgy and will present the company in an un-Netscape way, whatever that means. The TV ads are intended to show off NetCenter’s content, while the print ads will emphasize products and services and the radio ads will include a call to action. No word on what the outdoor advertising is supposed to achieve. Apparently no AOL money was behind the ad blitz, which seems to have been in the planning stages since before the merger of Netscape and AOL was announced. The acquisition won’t be finalized for several weeks. In the meantime, AOL will find itself in the odd position of competing with its prospective subsidiary for the hearts and minds of America’s consumers.
