Media Resources

Charming Understatement
1-Pixel Internet Banner Entices Over 90% to Click

Berlin (Germany), September 16, 2006

It's small things that conquer the hearts of buyers by charming understatement. Such as a 1-pixel-sized Internet advertisement. More than 90 out of 100 visitors click on it - a dream for marketing professionals.

Some inventions are so nonsensical, but then again fun and earning money. Remember Alex Tew. The British student sold a million Internet pixels for a Dollar each and became a millionaire. Many imitators could no tie in with that success, because in viral marketing it is all mouth-to-mouth propaganda that counts. Only who comes up with spacy new ideas wil conquer hearts.

One of such insensate ideas quickens Germany. It has the type of success only absurdities can have. The website you-cant-resist.com auctions a 1-pixel-sized banner. This intrigues so strongly, that the click rate of the mini-banner is more than 90%. Every week advertisors can bid for the pixel starting at 1 Euro. For seven days, the winner of the auction can configure where a click on the pixel is forwarded to. Evidently, this will be the website of the auction winner. In addition to spectator's visits, who burst with curiosity what can be found beyond the pixel, the winner is listed in a "hall of fame". After all a Google PageRank 4 page. A well-versed will know that this positively influences a website's search engine position.

The list of pixel winners reaches from virtual-oscilloscope.com to brands such as flyfm.de and santa-by-request.com. Although the idea of a 1-pixel-advertisement was born in May 2006 only. Dozens of Internet comments on the 1-pixel-idea prove, that it spreads franticly.

While the first auctions closed at 1 Euro, now bidders invest more to win the pixel, because the pixel generates more website traffic the better it becomes known on the Internet. The pixel has not earned a million Bucks yet, but, well, why not start out small? With the probably world's smallest Internet advertisement banner.

Images

Screenshot of the pixel homepage, TIFF image, 828 x 665

Screenshot of the eBay auction page, TIFF image, 957 x 753

Portrait of "pixel inventor" Peter Debik, TIFF image, 348 x 482

Publication royalty-free.

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