You’ve Got…a New AOL.ca

AOL Canada announced today the launch of its next generation homepage, AOL.ca. The new homepage features original, premium content with more emphasis on relevant, Canadian news and more of the video format Canadians love. The new site will feature breaking news, entertainment updates and relevant articles and stories in a new sleek design while providing advertisers with prominent ad opportunities, including AOL’s new innovative advertising format, IAB Portrait (formerly known as Project Devil).

"The new AOL.ca delivers on our promise to inform, entertain and connect with Canadians,” says Brad Cressman, head of content, AOL Canada. "The new site is aligned with our strategy of creating a ‘wow’ experience at scale by marrying our high quality content with an improved design to increase discoverability.”

With the addition of the Huffington Post, AOL premium properties reach 9.8 million Canadians monthly and have the highest concentration of HHI of $100k+ among the Top 5 Portal Sites in Canada.¹

Media Experts is the first to take advantage of the AOL.ca homepage with their client, BMW Canada. The campaign features the new X1, and will engage and excite consumers using the IAB Portrait ad format.

"While other homepages offer standard big box and leaderboard, AOL.ca provides new ad opportunities, including IAB Portrait,” says Karel Wegert, Director, Digital Solutions, Media Experts. "From a media perspective, we were able to better communicate our client’s messages to an unduplicated audience while reaching BMW’s affluent consumers.”

BMW Canada expressed immediate interest to be involved with the launch and their opportunity to showcase their X1 campaign in a creative new format.

"The IAB Portrait ad unit is quite unique and impactful, allowing maximum brand interaction within the page, and also the ability to get our message about the new BMW X1 out there loud and clear.” says Marianne MacNeil, Brand Communications Specialist, BMW Group Canada.

New AOL.ca Features:

• "You’ve Got…”: The web’s open microphone where celebs and public figures get 90 seconds to send timely messages to Canadians. Check out AOL.ca today to hear what Canadian Olympic Gold Medalists, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir have to say…
• Spotlight Advertorial: Highly visible ad-links to an AOL co-branded landing page or directly to partner site.
• Custom Content Module: Unique ad unit providing sponsorship capacity, in-line video and integrated content.
• Cause Marketing Module: Connecting consumers with the community and helps partners showcase their causes. A high-profile daily cause-oriented platform for partners to help raise awareness for company causes and connect users to volunteer opportunities and chances to donate to important causes.

Canadians LOVE video!

Placing compelling video front and centre is an instrumental component of the new AOL.ca homepage. The new homepage will not only feature the "You’ve Got…” video franchise but will also showcase other premium video prominently, providing additional video advertising opportunities.

With the combination of AOL’s ad network, Advertising.com, and recent acquisition of 5Min Media, AOL reaches more than 9 million total video viewers monthly and offers advertisers access to over 114 million premium quality video streams monthly; more viewers than the three Canadian broadcast networks combined². This ranks AOL as one of the top video networks in Canada, reaching over 40 percent of the video viewing audience in Canada.

About AOL

AOL Inc. (NYSE: AOL) is a premier global media company with a suite of brands and products serving consumers, advertisers and publishers worldwide. The AOL Huffington Post Media Group is a leading source of news, opinion, entertainment, community and digital information comprised of a wide range of destination websites, including AOL.com, The Huffington Post,TechCrunch, Moviefone, Engadget, Patch, AOL Music, StyleList and MapQuest. The AOL Advertising.com Group includes Advertising.com, ADTECH, goviral, Pictela, Video, Content Solutions and Sponsored Listings and serves a combined content and advertising market at scale through video, brand advertising, content and ad serving. AOL is focused on engaging consumers and providing online advertising services and solutions on both AOL Huffington Post Media Group destination websites and third party websites, in addition to serving consumer platforms including AOL Mail, AIM, about.me, and mobile experiences. AOL also operates one of the largest Internet subscription access services that serves as another distribution channel for its consumer offerings.

¹Source: comScore Inc. Total Canada. All Locations. March 2011.

²Source: comScore Inc. Total Canada. All Locations. March 2011. Video Metrix. Advertising.com Video Network + 5Min.