General Motors, Kraft, and Unilever Sign Agreements to Air TV Commercials
7 February 2000
General Motors, Kraft, and Unilever Sign Agreements to Air Wink-Enhanced Interactive TV Commercials
Automotive, Food and Packaged Good Industry Leaders Add Interactive
Enhancements to Their Advertising
ALAMEDA, Calif., Feb. 7 -- Wink Communications, Inc.
today announced that three of the largest television
advertisers in the United States: General Motors, Kraft Foods, Inc., and
Unilever have agreed to develop and broadcast Wink-enhanced television
commercials. Maggie Wilderotter, president and CEO, Wink Communications,
announced these agreements today.
Wink Enhanced Broadcasting(TM), the leading e-commerce system for
television, gives viewers a free and convenient way to interact with programs
and advertisements while they watch TV. By clicking their remote control
during an enhanced advertisement, viewers can request product samples,
coupons, brochures and other offers from advertisers, enroll in promotions and
contests, and make purchases instantly.
"Wink interactive advertising capabilities will add more value to our
television advertising. These enhanced commercials will give customers the
ability to instantly access product information and offers with the click of
the remote control," said Phil Guarascio, vice president, advertising and
corporate marketing, General Motors. "It's another way for us to connect with
our customers."
"Interactive commercials provide us with a new opportunity to market
directly to our customers," said Gary Gruneberg, director of media services,
Kraft Foods. "We're confident that this venture will help us gain a better
understanding of the consumer behavior towards this new medium and some new
insights as to how we may market our brands in the future."
"This is in keeping with the mission of the Unilever Interactive Brand
Center, which develops interactive marketing services and solutions that help
consumers improve the quality of their lives. Interactive television is a
vehicle which can assist us in providing relevant and timely information and
solutions to our consumers," said Eric Siebert, director E-commerce, Unilever.
"Wink is pleased to add three new clients to our expanding list of major
advertisers. The adoption of Wink technology by these industry leaders
confirms the growing significance of enhanced broadcasting and e-commerce for
today's television advertisers," said Maggie Wilderotter.
Wink's technology enables programmers and advertisers to enhance TV with
interactive overlays that appear as supplemental text and graphics on the TV
screen, relating to the TV broadcast. When Wink is available to a television
viewer, a small symbol appears on the viewer's TV screen, indicating that the
show or commercial is Wink enhanced. The viewer can choose to interact with
the show or ad by using his or her existing remote control. Wink is free to
the user, requiring no infrastructure upgrades or additional hardware in the
home for viewers with Wink enabled digital or advanced analog cable boxes.
Wink differs from Internet access on television, in that it enhances existing
programs and commercials. Wink has agreements in place with major cable and
satellite operators, Microsoft, Liberate and manufacturers of consumer
electronics equipment to distribute Wink Enhanced Broadcasting to viewers.
In addition to the new agreements announced today, American Honda Motor
Company, Inc., and The Walt Disney Company joined Wink's charter advertiser
program in Q4 1999. Previously announced advertising partners include AT&T,
Charles Schwab, The Clorox Company, DaimlerChrysler, Ford Motor Company,
General Electric, Goodyear, Levi-Strauss, Paramount Pictures, Pfizer,
Universal Pictures and Wells Fargo.
About Wink Communications, Inc.
Wink Communications, Inc. based in Alameda, California, provides a
complete end-to-end system for low-cost electronic commerce on television.
Wink Enhanced Broadcasting allows advertisers, merchants, and broadcast and
cable networks the ability to create interactive enhancements to traditional
television advertisements and programs.
Wink capability is currently available to viewers in cable markets in
California, Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Tennessee and
Texas. Wink Enhanced Broadcasting has been available in Japan since October
1996 and in the United States since June 1998. A complete list of industry
leaders who have adopted the Wink technology and additional information
regarding Wink Communications is available at http://www.wink.com.
The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe
harbor" for forward-looking statements. Certain information included in this
press release (as well as information included in oral statements or other
written statements made or to be made by the company) contains statements that
are forward-looking, such as statements relating to anticipated future
revenues of the company and success of current product offerings. Such
forward-looking information involves important risks and uncertainties that
could significantly affect anticipated results in the future and, accordingly,
such results may differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking
statements made by or on behalf of the company. For a description of
additional risks and uncertainties, please refer to the company's filings with
the Securities and Exchange Commissions.
Wink is a registered trademark of Wink Communications, Inc. All other
products or brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their
respective owners.