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CompuServe takes aim
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January 24, 1997: 12:10 p.m. ET
Online service plans Superbowl ads emphasizing AOL's problems
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - CompuServe will try to capitalize on America Online's recent string of problems with an ad that will air just before the Super Bowl.
The 30-second spot will air just before the kickoff of Super Bowl XXXI. It starts with 15 seconds of black screen and the sound of a modem unsuccessfully attempting to log on to an unnamed online service.
Then the sound fades and the CompuServe logo is shown with the phrase: "Looking for dependable Internet access? CompuServe. Get on with it" appears.
The multi-million dollar ad is meant to cause further embarrassment to AOL which has suffered from overcapacity problems in recent weeks.
Since it introduced a new $19.95 unlimited usage pricing plan in December, AOL's network has been overwhelmed. Many customers have been staying on much longer than usual and that has meant many others have been unable to get on line at all.
The commercial is a strategic departure for CompuServe. It recently announced it was no longer marketing itself as a consumer online service. At the time, most analysts felt it was conceding the consumer market to AOL.
The ad campaign comes just three days after representatives of several state attorneys general discussed growing consumer dissatisfaction with AOL. Also Thursday AOL suffered a three-hour e-mail shutdown.
An America Online spokeswoman told The Wall Street Journal that the number of defectors from the online service hasn't increased since the unlimited plan went into effect. She also denied that the commercial would have any other impact other than depleting CompuServe's ad budget.
CompuServe insists the ad is meant to dispel any perceptions that online services and the Internet don't function properly. He said they want to preserve CompuServe's reputation for reliability and dependability.
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