AOL to trial video ads

America Online will begin testing ways to enliven its typically staid advertising banners by employing video. Beginning November 1, AOL will introduce video advertisements on its popular AOL Instant Messenger service. The company's movie-studio cousin, New Line Cinema, will offer video ads to promote its upcoming release for the comedy "Elf." AOL said it has lined up other sponsors outside of the AOL Time Warner corporate family, but a company representative declined to name them.

The November launch will be the first time that AOL has used video banner ads on its services, according to the AOL representative. The ads will use technology from EyeWonder to deliver the video ads.