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AOL Recommits to Its Members with Print, Radio and TV Ads that Harken Back to the Company's Roots

AOL Introduces First Logo Redesign in More than a Decade

DULLES, VA - October 7, 2004 - "Want a better Internet?" That's the question America Online will be asking in a new brand campaign starting Thursday, October 7, 2004. The comprehensive new advertising campaign is intended to reposition America Online as the service that is truly on the side of the online consumer. It begins with print ads in leading newspapers that outline AOL's commitments to its members. AOL also announced today the first redesign of its logo since 1991, which among other things gives the familiar triangle a more up-to-date look.
The initial print ad, by The Martin Agency, explains eight commitments AOL is making to its members. "Today," the ad says, "we're announcing a series of commitments that will drive our employees to one common goal: to make life online better for our members, and in so doing, to improve their lives." The eight bullets explain AOL's determination to:

* Protect members from online threats
* Safeguard children
* Protect member privacy
* Protect members against spam and scams
* Provide the best communication tools possible
* Provide simple solutions
* Innovate
* Offer comprehensive customer service.

The ads will start as double-page spreads in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post with the series continuing over the course of several weeks.

On October 11, a series of television ads by BBDO debuts. The commercials bring AOL's commitments to life by highlighting the company's relationship with its members in a more personal way.

In one of the TV commercials, shot on the AOL campus in Dulles, Virginia, an office receptionist looks up to see that a huge crowd of AOL members has turned up at headquarters with ideas on how to make the Internet better. In the second ad, an individual AOL member comes to talk with executives about how to improve the Internet. The executives wholeheartedly welcome her ideas.

"This conversation is emblematic of the dialogue between our employees and our members every day," said Joe Redling, Chief Marketing Officer at America Online. "Our members are the heart and soul of AOL, and from them come our best ideas."

Additional episodes will follow, all featuring interactions between "employees" and "members" that show how AOL is listening to members and is committed to being on their side. The ads end with the tag: "Want a better Internet? America Online. Broadband, Wireless, Dialup" to remind consumers that AOL serves members however they connect to the Internet. The ads will air during primetime, late night and cable, with accompanying print and radio.

In conjunction with the new branding effort, and to mark the company's upcoming 20th anniversary, AOL is launching a new logo treatment, the first adjustment to the AOL logo since 1991. The new logo, designed by Desgrippes Gobe', turns the iconic AOL triangle on its side to resemble a forward arrow, with a more contemporary typeface. Says Redling, "By reinterpreting the familiar blue triangle, the new logo preserves the recognizable elements of AOL and literally points a new way forward."

About BBDO New York

BBDO New York is part of BBDO Worldwide, the second largest global agency network. BBDO develops and executes marketing and communications plans for many of the world's best known brands. Its professional commitment is captured in the agency's operating mantra, "The Work. The Work. The Work." It is this focus on the work which has helped BBDO earn the distinction of being the most creative agency network in the world over the last five years as reported by The Gunn Report

About The Martin Agency

Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, The Martin Agency is a full-service agency offering unified advertising, direct response, public relations and interactive.

About Desgrippes Gobe'

A leading strategic brand and design consultancy, DGA is internationally renowned for Emotional Branding-its philosophy and approach to delivering inspired design solutions that help clients communicate their brand promise in a compelling and cohesive way. Headquartered in New York, the company has seven offices throughout the U.S., Europe, and Asia.

About America Online, Inc.

America Online, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Warner Inc. Based in Dulles, Virginia, America Online is the world's leader in interactive services, Web brands, Internet technologies and e-commerce services.

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