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From Boys To…Boys With Superpowers, PointRoll Gets A Makeover

Written on
November 12th 2007
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by PointRoll  |
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pointroll-character.jpgComparable to coming up with a new story line for a rapidly growing child on a television sitcom, PointRoll’s latest rebranding effort came about after deciding which direction to take with their most important marketing icons, “the Boys,” to appropriately infuse the brand with recent developments made within the company. 

Known in the interactive arena as bringing “life to lifeless advertising,” the PointRoll Boys were created to put an easy to understand face to the unique attributes of the company’s suite of seemingly complex rich media solutions—FatBoy personifies the mouse-over activated, expanding banner; TowelBoy represents snap-back capability; PaperBoy speaks to bringing newspaper circulars to life by pulling local content into the ads; TomBoy shows she can handle unlimited k weight; and BadBoy epitomizes the more aggressive floating ad.  

Fairly well known in interactive advertising circles, PointRoll made the decision to evolve the Boys and update their image from kids to superheroes to coincide with a major product launch, guaranteeing a more compelling, effective online advertising experience. Some in the industry have already seen glimpses of the new and improved FatBoy, TomBoy, TowelBoy, BadBoy and PaperBoy superheroes, complete with matching spandex costumes on the AdPortal site or through various direct mail pieces.

The artwork was created by an in-house illustrator for a comic book promoting AdPortal, an all-in-one rich media management platform, the first solution of its kind to be specifically built for the Web 2.0, launched earlier this summer. The comic book was the cornerstone promotional material PointRoll used in the launch. Trading cards, signed posters, cardboard stand-ups, a robust microsite and custom FatBoy action figure are also part of the mix. 

“It seemed logical to our team, that if the company and the technology at PointRoll is evolving, then the Boys are entitled to a makeover as well,” said Chris Saridakis, CEO, PointRoll. “The concept and execution of the comic book and other materials reinforce PointRoll as the absolute creative leader in a climate where other vendors are touting their ability to templatize rich media. As a good deal of our clients are top-notch designers, we are constantly striving to show them we speak their language through our own design efforts.”

The basic premise of the story is that FatBoy and his band of rich media revolutionaries are on a quest to eradicate standard advertising from the futuristic city of Mediapolis, due to the villainous Stan Darad (get it?) banning rich media ads from the city. As a result, boring, flat ads are being forced upon the good citizens of the city, business suffers and creativity ceases to exist. Equipped with AdPortal, the Boys save the day, kicking ads and taking names.

“Yes, the Boys have grown– and with that, they have become a more formidable and organized force, mirroring the literal growth of the company,” said Saridakis. “The launch of AdPortal has improved the way we do business and provides clients with even more creative freedom. We feel the rebranding of the boys reflects this significant shift.”

Written by Becky Churilla of PointRoll



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