JWT turns to Huffington Post to showcase work online

JWT also wants to use the "roadblock" buy-up, where a single advertiser takes over a website, magazine or radio programme, to show that it is modern enough to compete in the digital industry.

The Huffington Post is a leftist group political blog bringing together a range of writers, including Tina Brown, Harold Evans and George Clooney. It was founded last year by the Greek-born and Cambridge-educated US columnist and author Arianna Huffington, whose first book 'The Female Woman' was a response to Germaine Greer's 'The Female Eunuch'.

As well as prominent US writers, it also carries contributions from the likes of Norman Mailer, John Cusack and Bill Maher.

Bob Jeffrey, JWT Worldwide chairman and CEO, said: "JWT is incredibly proud of these commercials and through this new model we are making a significant investment in our interactive strategy.

"We chose to partner with HuffingtonPost.com because of their hugely influential audience and devoted readership. Together we hope to further blur the lines between traditional advertising and new media."

Sarah Bernard, HuffingtonPost.com general manager, said: "Since the Internet gives consumers choice, we know people will only watch a video that is worth their attention and will only share content with a friend if it is truly enter."

The Levi's spot shows stick figures becoming romantically entangled and an anti-gun ad shows two unsupervised children avoiding discovering a gun in a cupboard, only to find a lighter and cigarettes.

The deal is timed to run during the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, which begins on Sunday.

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