Web hosting. While different companies offer various plans in various sizes and capabilities, the product itself is not easily differentiated from one company to the next.

The problem facing Hostway, the global leader in Web hosting, was how to create a connection with the consumer, and get them to see their product in a new, and irresistible light. In addition, how could this message be easily understandable, but intelligent, and compelling enough for the consumer to want to pass it along to their friends (and thus save the Hostway marketing department from creating an actual budget that would need to be spent)?

In order to stand out from the already overpopulated Web marketing crowd, we realized that we needed to engage and impress our audience with something new, clever, and maybe even a bit absurd.

Leroy, the Helping Hand was born from the idea of a corporate advertising icon acting as a spokeshand for not only the company's products and services, but philosophy and attitude as well. Leroy's irreverence and desire to explain how Web hosting works, reflects the generosity of spirit that Hostway brings to its clientele. Furthermore, the use of Leroy as a conduit of the company's message allowed Hostway to repackage the conceit as individual, rather than business. Leroy's site is a personal one, not a corporate one; his messages, while inherently tinged with marketing points and branding, are wrapped in irreverence and personality.

Utilizing an innovative interface, visitors can leaf through Leroys personal journal, scrapbook, memoirs, magazines; listen to his demo 8-track recordings and voice mail messages; watch the True Tales Of Hollywood Heroes all about Leroy; scrawl a message on the graffiti wall; and even play games against Leroy himself (as well as other visitors in a peer-to-peer situation).

Beyond the sheer entertainment value, visitors to Leroys site are also impressed by the exciting technical advancements that power the site.

By creating an online destination that conveys the unique spirit of Hostway, and encourages visitors to pass along the experience to their friends, weve fashioned an inventive, entertaining, and curiously addictive site that, while solving a common
problem with an uncommon solution, also forms a strong, positive brand association.