Dallas Advertising Agency Creates Sponsored Yahoo! Widget

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Friday, December 1, 2006; 08:54 AM

TagTeam Advertising in Dallas has launched a technologically advanced widget -- a mini-web application on a user's desktop. Branded for Yahoo! client, Purina, the Purina Pet Weather Widget brings cats and dogs to life with witty quips that change with the local weather conditions. Users simply upload their pet's picture to the widget and are entertained as their pet "talks" to them about the weather, health and grooming reminders, and other issues related to cats and dogs. Most quotes use humor to keep users smiling and engaged. For instance, your cat might tell you "Birds of a feather flock together. Yum!" While your dog might say, "I feel the urge to hunt. Fetch me the ball!" or remind you on hot days "Don't forget to leave me lots of water today".

Image source: www.tagteamcreative.com.

In their current issues, both AdWeek and BrandWeek laud the use of widgets as effective permission-based user-directed guerilla marketing. Both online and in its print edition, AdWeek and BrandWeek specifically highlight TagTeam Advertising's Purina Pet Weather Widget with a photo. The attention is nothing new for TagTeam who has created some of Yahoo!'s most successful banners ads for its popular front page.

TagTeam Advertising co-founder Will Morgan said that sponsoring a Yahoo! Widget is a smart marketing decision for companies. "When a company can tap into something that is meaningful to the user, they grab their attention, and what is more meaningful than a cherished pet? The fact the widget sits on the desktop, is customizable, and is engaging means the company will receive an extremely high level of visibility. The potential for brand exposure is huge." TagTeam Creative even went the extra mile to program the widget for Macintosh computers.

Combining the popular weather widget with pet pictures and pop-up quotes is something never been done before and is considered cutting-edge marketing. With more than 7,500 downloads in a few days, TagTeam's widget is earning rave reviews from Yahoo! users. "I love it!" and "Very cool! I replaced my plain ol' Yahoo! weather widget with this." are common responses. Morgan also notes the viral marketing advantages of the widget, illustrated by another user who commented, "How cute! I can't wait to send it to my mom and sister!"

The Purina Pet Weather Widget can be found at http://widgets.yahoo.com/gallery/index.php?&search=weather&category=latest where the full Yahoo! Widget Gallery may be accessed, or at http://www.tagteamcreative.com.


The Purina sponsored pet weather widget on Yahoo is drawing raves from consumers --- and the industry. Widgets are proving to be a smart one-to-one loyalty-building tool. Learn about the agency and marketing concept behind this widget's success.

TagTeam Creative Advertising and Graphic Design provides strategic advertising, copywriting, graphic design, web design, media buying, search engine optimization, audio production and video production and printing to clients who understand the value that strategic marketing brings to their business.

The Yahoo! Widget Engine is a JavaScript runtime engine for Windows and Mac OS X that lets you run files called "Widgets" that can do pretty much whatever you want them to. Widgets can be alarm clocks, calculators, can tell you your WiFi signal strength, will fetch the latest stock quotes for your preferred symbols, and give your current local weather.