Easy/WPP unveil ad sales venture

EasyJet founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou and the WPP Group have created a joint venture to sell advertising in easyEverything cafés around the globe.

EasyEverything Media Sales (ee-ms) will sell online advertising, in-store ambient advertising and ads on posters inside the cafés. The Internet café chain has 21 outlets throughout Europe and in New York which are open 24 hours a day. It plans to expand worldwide through company-owned and franchised stores.

Ee-ms will employ 20 staff who previously worked for either easyEverything or Spafax Airline Network. Spafax is a wholly-owned subsidiary of WPP, which specialises in advertising on aeroplanes.

EasyEverything says that Spafax’s experience in advertising to an audience contained within a specific environment was a major reason for forging the alliance.

The Internet café chain also claims that, as it owns the computer screens in its stores, it can deliver targeted and measurable online advertising to a young, Internet-wise market from around the world.

Haji-Ioannou says: “With the ability to sell more advertising, the cost of surfing for the consumer will come down and we will remain faithful to the principles of the easy brand.”