Skype rolls out ‘longest ever’ live ad on the internet

Skype, the internet phone company, is launching what it claims is the longest-ever ad. The campaign will map the progress of Australian writer Rebecca Campbell over a 33-day journeythat will be recorded on the internet.

The campaign, created by Albion, is called Skype Nomad and it also claims it will be the longest human product demo.

Campbell has a brief to remain on the move for the entire period, even when sleeping.

She will stream her trip live on the internet using Skype-enabled gadgets, and will also update Facebook, MySpace and Skype blog pages. Visitors to the pages will be able to get in touch with Campbell via Skype as she travels.

She will cross 15 countries and has been challenged to use as many forms of transport as possible.

Skype is supporting the campaign through a partnership with international disability and development charity Motivation, and is urging people to donate online – www.justgiving.com/ Skypenomad.

Malthe Sigurdsson, Skype creative director, says the campaign aims to show people how easy it is to use the service.

The service, which was bought by eBay in 2005, has 309 million registered users, which it says it recruited without using any traditional advertising.

Albion, which is also eBay’s UK agency of record, worked with Skype’s in-house creative team to develop the experiential campaign.