Gary Briggs

One of the perks of my role is getting to be part of such an enormous and creative undertaking. I have to admit that it's so great to see something go from idea to action. On behalf of the many people who contributed their long hours and expertise into making this all possible, I'm really thrilled to introduce this year's brand new marketing campaign.

First – as way of a little introduction – I wanted to briefly mention our summer Windorphins campaign. You may have seen or heard about Windorphins - a concept that captures the euphoria of winning – which made a splash all over the country this summer via colorful billboards, cab signs, etc. Our Windorphins promotion was what the marketing world calls a "teaser" campaign - a way of piquing people's interest with a bit of surprise and curiosity.

Now that we've seeded the idea of Windorphins in the public's mind, our audience is primed for our brand new integrated advertising campaign and television commercials, all focused on winning on eBay...drum roll please!

Shop Victoriously!
We have a series of innovative television commercials we'll be releasing in the next few days and weeks that focus on the "Shop Victoriously" theme. "Winning" is the overall message that comes through each of these unique story lines, because we all know that "it's better when you win it." In the "land of bland" out there, eBay is like an oasis – it's the only place where you can find that rockin' good deal and get a good rush of windorphins to boot.

But really the ads speak best for themselves! To get a better sense of the campaign, I'm pleased to be able to give you this sneak peek at one of our ads called "Dog Race." See for yourself what I mean:

"Shop Victoriously" Ads Debut in 23,000 Theaters
To kick things off, this afternoon moviegoers in front of over 23,000 theater screens across the country will learn that at eBay they can "Shop Victoriously." Then, on Sunday, these ads will be appearing during major prime time television shows, starting with Sunday Night Football on NBC and continuing with shows such as Grey's Anatomy, Deal or no Deal, and Heroes. If you miss these shows, no worries. Keep an eye on the homepage next week for links where you can watch the rest of these ads from your computer screen.

Where's Griff?
By the way, has anyone seen Griff? Rumor has it our very own Griff has been hiding out at a football game. See if you can spot him!

Personalized Catalogs Reach 4 Million Buyer Households
In addition to our new television ads, we'll be sending a personalized buyer catalog to over 4 million prospective buyers – each one features a wide selection of the great items you can get on eBay, and even includes a personalized URL that the recipient can visit to get some shopping suggestions based on their own interests.

Internet Marketing Campaign
Plus, we'll be spreading the "it's better when you win it" message across much of our online advertising, which will reach 90% of the online shopping population. The campaign will run across some of the most visited sites on the internet including Yahoo, MSN, AOL, MySpace, Facebook, and many more. We want buyers everywhere to know they can Shop Victoriously on eBay!

This is all just the beginning of the Shop Victoriously campaign, with much more to come. I'll have more details to share with you about this ambitious integrated marketing campaign later in the fall.

Coming soon - eBay Gift Cards!
You've asked for them before and we've heard you. This holiday season we're making it even easier for you to give the gift of "just about anything" with our new eBay Gift Cards. YES!

In the next few weeks, eBay Gift cards will start hitting shelves at stores near you, and will be widely available by November. eBay Gift Cards are "always the right size and always the right color." Plus they make great stocking stuffers! One of my team members will be back in a few weeks to tell you even more, so stay tuned.

Thanks for reading and may you Shop (and Sell!) Victoriously!

Sincerely,

Gary Briggs
Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer
eBay North America