AOL Launches Site For Mothers And Toddlers

AOL Launches Site For Mothers And Toddlers

by Wendy Davis, Tuesday, Apr 25, 2006 6:00 AM EST

AMERICA ONLINE HAS LAUNCHED A new Web site geared for preschoolers ages 2 to 5 and their mothers. The free site, www.KOLjunior.com, will be supported by ads geared toward mothers of toddlers, said Malcolm Bird, senior vice president, AOL Kids & Teens. Marketers will be able to purchase a banner at the top of the page. While the site will contain video, AOL hasn't yet decided whether to offer marketers the chance to buy pre-roll ads, Bird said. AOL's broader children's channel, Kids AOL, offers advertisers the opportunity to purchase pre-roll inventory. While Kids AOL, or KOL, has long contained a section dedicated to preschool children and their mothers, that portion of the site was previously underdeveloped, Bird said. "We never really had the correct amount of programming and resources against our preschool offering," Bird said. The new KOL Jr. site--which quietly came out of beta testing last week--has been completely redesigned, and boasts games and music in addition to a new original animated series, "Pilar's Adventures." In June, AOL plans to enter into licensing deals for Pilar books, videos, and clothes--similar to deals that company has done for Kids AOL's cartoon series "Princess Natasha." Last year, AOL signed a licensing deal