AOL Time Warner has been jazzing up it’s now classic “You’ve Got Mail”
greeting by playing on a few of those ‘synergies’ between America Online and
Time Warner that the two companies spoke about so eagerly during merger
talks.
Beginning on April 30, the company began lining up Time Warner affiliated
celebrities to say the phrase, but added a touch of mystery by not revealing
their names. But the company let the cat(s) out of the bag Wednesday, and
also revealed that it has lined up an additional eight celebrities to wrap
their lips around the words.
The company Wednesday revealed that Madonna was the first celebrity voice,
greeting members from April 30 to May 2. Sylvester “Sly” Stallone took over
from the Material Girl from May 2 to May 4, giving members a taste of his
trademark “Yo” greeting. Pop superstars Destiny’s Child did the honors from
May 4 to May 7, and long-suffering ‘putty tat’ Sylvester the Cat offered
“Greetings and Salutations” from May 7 to May 9.
While the first round of celebrities have come and gone, AOL members can
still hear their favorites whenever they choose. The company now enables
members to customize their “You’ve Got Mail,” “Welcome” and “Goodbye”
messages with any of the celebrity voices by going to AOL Keyword: You’ve
Got Mail.
What about the next round of stars to lend their voice talent? AOL is
sticking to its guns as far as mystery goes, but anyone who guesses the
identity of the celebrity greeters get a chance to win one of three Mazda
Miata Roadsters or one of 12 trips to the 2002 BlockBuster Movie Awards in
Los Angeles, as well as a BlockBuster Value Card for 52 free movie rentals,
one per week for 52 consecutive weeks. Members who want to enter can go to
AOL Keyword: You’ve Got Mail. Non-members can enter the contest here.
To spice up the contest a little, the company has issued the following
hints:
- Voice #5 (posted Wednesday) was recently given an honorary sheriff’s
deputy badge in Las Vegas; wants to be remembered like Buster Keaton or Gene
Kelly; and had more than 100 movies to his credit before he became a
box-office draw in the U.S. - Voice #6 (to be posted Friday) has been voted one of People magazine’s
“50 Most Beautiful People”; her first name is really Audrey but she goes by
her middle name; she is adopted. - Voice #7 (to be posted Monday, May 14) sold Kool-Aid on the sidewalk at
eight years old to raise money for a political candidate; does a great
impression of the cartoon character Shaggy; and his bedside reading is The
Art of Happiness: A Handbook For Living by the Dalai Lama.”
