Freeserve, the UK’s largest internet service provider, is changing its name to that of its parent company Wanadoo with the backing of an extensive £20 million rebranding campaign.
The long-awaited move will see the new-media outfit adopt Wanadoo’s core brand values and visual identity, consigning the six year old Freeserve brand to the marketing and internet history books.
Wanadoo acquired Freeserve in March 2001, strengthening its position as Europe’s second largest internet and directories company. The group currently has more than 9.1 million customers world-wide, 2.4 million of which are broadband subscribers.
Although customers will notice little change in practical terms following the rebranding, the company will inform them of the move via e-mails, letters and direct marketing. The company also plans to blitz the public with outdoor campaign created by M&C Saatchi showing Freeserve’s trademark hippie characters maturing to adopt the Wanadoo brand.
The campaign will mark the internet service provider’s first use of outdoor advertising and will be closely followed by a second series of ads officially launching Wanadoo as the new face of Freeserve in the UK.
As part of the rebranding, the company will launch several promotions, including a competition for existing Freeserve customers to win a year’s subscription to Wanadoo Broadband, effectively making them the company’s first customers in the UK.
The move follows a push by BT for dominance of the country’s broadband market with new feature rich and budget options for broadband customers. The company’s latest offering is a rich media platform allowing anyone to create and distribute digital content online with integrated copy protection to guard against content theft or sharing (see BT Drives Broadband With New Rich Media Launch).
Freeserve: 0845 070 0066www.freeserve.co.uk
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