July 23, 2008 9:39 AM PDT

AOL plugs Goowy widget ads into ad network

Posted by Stephen Shankland

Update 12:35 p.m. PDT: I corrected a reference to AOL's parent company.

AOL said Wednesday it's integrating interactive "widget" ads with Platform-A, the Time Warner subsidiary's advertising network.

An example of a widget ad from Advertising.com.

(Credit: Advertising.com)

Widgets are small Web-based applications, and widget ads offer more interactive possibilities than conventional ads. AOL acquired Goowy in February to advance its widget push, and the Goowy technology for creating and managing widgets is now integrated with Platform-A.

Widgets already could be distributed on AOL's Bebo and on Facebook through Advertising.com service, which is part of Platform-A, but Platform-A has a much broader reach. According to June statistics from ComScore, Platform-A is the top-ranked ad network, reaching 90 percent of the nearly 190 million Americans who are online. (The Yahoo Network was second, at 83 percent, followed by the Google Ad Network at 81 percent, and Specific Media at 78 percent.)

AOL said distributing widget ads through Platform-A won't cost extra.

"Widget-based advertising is gaining momentum in the industry, and Platform-A's network approach allows our customers to build brands, encourage interaction, and drive site traffic--all at scale," said Lynda Clarizio, president of Platform-A, in a statement.