Electronic Retailing Association Confers Top Honors on Donat/Wald Company with Award for eHarmony Spot

Business Wire, Oct 18, 2004

SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- Direct Response Advertising Leader Earns Coveted 'Best Short Form' Recognition For TV Ad Introducing Now-Popular Dating Site

Recognizing the power of direct response advertising to move consumers while building a brand, the Electronic Retailing Association (ERA) has awarded top honors to Donat/Wald Company (www.donatwald.com) for its work on behalf of client eHarmony.com.

Donat/Wald was awarded "Best Short Form Intellectual Property" for "It's Possible," a warm and powerful TV spot that ignited eHarmony.com's meteoric ascent to the #1 position in the online relationship category. The firm took first place in its category during the Electronic Retailing Association Awards Gala, held on Sept. 29 in Las Vegas. The ERA represents companies selling goods and services via the electronic media.

Donat/Wald's television campaign has driven eHarmony.com's user growth rate from 1 million users to 5.5 million and the largest market share of dollar sales in the industry. eHarmony.com is a Web-based service designed to facilitate new personal relationships, which -- unlike traditional online dating sites -- uses a groundbreaking, patented scientific method to successfully match people based on the 29 dimensions found to be present in enduring, happy marriages.

The "It's Possible" spot, which ran from April-July 2003, features an actual couple who met through eHarmony.com, as do all subsequent eHarmony spots. The spot shows the couple reminiscing about their first telephone conversations. Their vitality and obvious compatibility make the spot believable and compelling. At the same time, the venerable Dr. Neil Clark Warren, eHarmony.com founder, conveys qualities of genuineness and warmth that communicate a strong feeling of caring about member success in finding a soulmate.

"We're extremely gratified to be recognized by the ERA for our work with eHarmony.com," said Lucas Donat, CEO, Donat/Wald. "Our key challenge with this assignment was to clearly differentiate eHarmony.com from the scores of online dating sites. Fortunately, eHarmony made this easy because no other destination in the dating/relationship space comes close to its depth and substance -- especially when you have the benefit of finding your true love using the only service on the Web that matches people based on what is proven to work in successful marriages."

"With a vastly different approach to online dating and relationship-building that requires a commitment of time, patience and focus by our members, it was critical to align ourselves with an ad agency who truly understands our business and mission," said Dr. Neil Clark Warren, founder of eHarmony.com. "The account team at Donat/Wald created a winning first impression for eHarmony.com -- one that has helped bring many people together for lasting relationships... people who likely wouldn't have otherwise met."

About Donat/Wald

Donat/Wald was founded in 1987 and quickly became recognized as a leader in direct response advertising. The award-winning agency's multi-platform approach combines the power of television, radio, print, and interactive media to offer integrated solutions that maximize advertising ROI and enable precise accountability. Throughout its 17-year history, Donat/Wald has been orchestrating successful campaigns for notable clients such as Columbia, Sony, MGM/UA, Mattel Toys, and ServiceMaster, American Express, Federated, CarsDirect.com, and eCompanies. The exclusive agency of record for 1-800-DENTIST for more than 12 years, Donat/Wald advertising was instrumental building it from a start-up to the largest dental marketing company in America.