YouTube Debuts Ad Features; Paris Hilton Launches First "Brand Channel"

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on August 22, 2006 - 12:38pm.

San Mateo, Calif. - Video-sharing site YouTube on Tuesday announced the launch of several new advertising features -- "participatory video ads" and "brand channels" -- and said Warner Bros. Records recording artist Paris Hilton is the company's first brand channel partner. The Paris Hilton Channel on YouTube, sponsored by Fox's "Prison Break" TV series, will feature an original broadcast from Paris using the participatory video ad. The ad format includes all regular YouTube community features, allowing users to rate, share and comment on the ads, as well as embed them on their own blogs and social network pages. YouTube CEO Chad Hurley told Reuters the Weinstein Company also created a participatory video ad to promote its current feature film "Pulse," which was viewed 900,000 times in four days. San Mateo, Calif.-based YouTube said that marketers can customize the appearance of their brand channels, which will be offered for free to advertisers who meet predetermined spending levels.

http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=156100
http://tinyurl.com/erurh (Reuters)
http://www.youtube.com/advertise