Volvo, which only a few months ago got its hands slapped by some dealers after it used an online-only ad campaign to introduce a new car, remains intrigued by new media. This time it is going to test the advertising effectiveness of personal digital assistants such as Palms, Internet-capable wireless phones and interactive TV ads in a bid to determine which works best.

As the National Collegiate Athletic Association games unfold, a new campaign will use all three media to coax consumers into visiting Volvo's revolvolution.com Web site, where they can participate in a contest to win a Volvo S60. The sports sedan carries a starting price of $26,500. Volvo will air about 25 television spots during the two-week tournament, likely spending $4 million to $6 million for air time, media executives say. Volvo won't divulge what it is spending for the two-week promotion but did say it planned to add about 10% to the TV cost to cover the non-TV portion of the effort, suggesting that part likely will cost about $400,000 to $600,000.

What's in it for Volvo? A window, however fleeting, into how consumers are using the latest in wireless and interactive technology. Many think these will be big advertising platforms one day, but nobody is quite sure how to use them without annoying consumers. Now Volvo hopes to find out. Basketball fans who use their Web-enabled cellphones to visit the NCAA scores sections on CBS SportsLine and Go2.com will see a Volvo logo and a text message that prompts them to enter the free-car contest. Those watching the basketball games on WebTV will be able to click on an icon during the Volvo commercial that directs them to the Volvo Web site, where they can enter the contest.

Also, viewers logging on to WebTV will be greeted by a Volvo S60 promotional video. Technically inclined people with wireless personal digital assistants, or PDAs, also can view a full-color promotional video on the car and enter the contest. Volvo will keep track of the data that stream in and track which ad medium works best. The promotion will enable the car maker to create a list of consumers who have agreed to receive future e-mail pitches.

"We know convergence is coming," says Phil Bienert, a marketing executive for Volvo Cars of North America, a unit of Ford Motor. "We need to try these things out now and be prepared for it." Although many expect wireless PDAs, Web-friendly cellphones and interactive TV will one day be a significant part of the ad landscape, the devices aren't yet in wide use. According to Jupiter Media Metrix there are only 1.7 million interactive televisions, 29.3 million Internet-capable wireless phones and 8.6 million Internet-capable PDAs in circulation. By contrast, Jupiter says there are about 122 million personal-computer users online.

Before entering the contest to win a new car, consumers are asked to click on which entry point - TV, cellphone, PDA, WebTV - they used to reach the contest. The question will enable Volvo to keep track of which medium is reaching the most consumers.

The Wall Stret Journal