NEW YORK – Wanna take another look that slick new ad you just saw, or relive your favourite old-time commercials? Didja.com will be for you.
Scheduled to launch in early 2008, the new site was announced by USA Network today, Didja.com will be the network’s first-ever independent digital media initiative, a free online archive of current and classic television commercials, movie trailers and other brand-related content.
Didja.com will be a social networking destination that reinvents the commercial viewing experience by celebrating advertising as entertainment, says the press release. The announcement was made today by Bonnie Hammer, president, USA Network and SCI FI Channel.
"Didja.com is the logical next step in the changing dynamic between consumers and advertisers," said Hammer in the release. "There’s no doubt that commercials are major drivers of pop culture – all you have to do is check out traffic on any video-sharing site. We want to own that watercooler conversation and become the go-to destination for on-demand advertising content."
Didja.com will leverage the resources of the NBC Universal Entertainment assets through its multiple platforms of distribution. Through the Universal Motion Picture Group; Universal Television Group, including NBC, USA Network, SCI FI Channel, Bravo, CNBC, MSNBC and the emerging networks; Universal Media Studios; NBCU Television Stations; NBCU Digital Media and iVillage, advertisers will be afforded the opportunity to present their brands to an actively engaged audience.
Hopefully, the site won’t be geo-blocked and content will be available beyond the borders of the U.S.
Didja.com will offer streamed commercial viewing using NBCU’s video player. The site’s social networking application will encourage users to rate, vote, comment, and interact with brands they love. Its mash-up toolkit will also let users create brand interpretations, tributes, and parodies. Additional personalization features will allow viewers to customize their experience and receive targeted, relevant brand messages.
Advertisers too will be able to customize their brand experience on Didja.com. Content is uploaded remotely through a turnkey interface where advertisers have the option to enable social networking features and set timers to remove content on a predetermined date. Customized brand pages allow advertisers to include additional product information and pre-sale tools such as store locators, coupons, and incentives. As a fully secure, rights protected web site, there is no unauthorized or pirated content on Didja.com.
"Didja.com is an exceptional opportunity for advertisers to interact with an engaged audience and extend their marketing budgets online," added Michael Pilot, president, NBCU Ad Sales. "Ads that once aired exclusively on television can now live on Didja.com. Additionally, NBCU’s clients will benefit from Didja.com’s research capabilities, including virtual focus groups, behavioral targeting, and data mining."
"The site will celebrate advertising content, inviting every brand, product and agency to submit their respective commercials. In addition, the initiative will offer a handful of charter sponsors the opportunity to be on the ground floor. Didja.com will serve as an innovative way for advertisers to interact with an audience that’s truly connected to their brands," concludes the release.
