Sprint Nextel Corp.'s Boost Mobile carrier has introduced a mobile advertising platform, signing up Honda Acura and Fox Searchlight Pictures as its first advertisers.

The Irvine, CA-based company has also partnered with Amobee Media Systems as its official ad-selling and ad-serving service to help run mobile ad campaigns.

"Generally, advertising via mobile phones is still in its infancy, but we are very encouraged by the potential," said Lowell Winer, director of emerging products and business development at Boost Mobile. "According to our research, customers do not find ads to be intrusive when they are highly relevant to their wants and needs.

"When mobile ads are targeted to the point that they are perceived by the consumer as content, that is the ideal that Boost wants to drive to with mobile advertising," he said. "The 'Just for You' section on iTunes or 'We have Recommendations for You' when visiting Amazon.com are excellent examples."

The ads will target Boost's 4.6 million prepaid wireless customers, most of whom are under 30. This audience is steadily moving from print and television to mobile media.

Ads broke yesterday, including featured information on Fox Searchlight's April 11 release of "Street Kings." The cop movie stars Keanu Reeves, Hugh Laurie, Forest Whitaker, Jay Mohr and Martha Higareda.

Ads for Acura's jaunty 2009 TSX car will run shortly.

Mobile ads will first appear on Boost's BoostLive and Web Home areas.

BoostLive is Boost's handset storefront for customers to buy ringtones, wallpapers, games and music.

The company said it will grow ad content to include messaging and key applications soon.

Boost users will not be charged for viewing the ads. They can opt out any time by calling the company's customer service line at 1-888-BOOST-4U.

"Rather than being first to market with mobile advertising, we wanted to be sure to have the formula just right," Mr. Winer said. "Advertiser alignment with the Boost brand and relevance to our customers are two critical components of our mobile advertising campaign and have been considerations every step of the way.

"It's also important to note that Boost is, and always has been, all about segmentation," he said.

"Everything we do, from marketing and sales to product development and pricing, is tailored to the under-30 crowd, and the launch of our mobile advertising service is no different. Our young customer base and brand appeal provides advertisers with market segmentation from the get-go."

Mobile beach
The Boost deal comes soon after Amobee, Redwood City, CA, agreed to sell mobile inventory and develop advertising-agency relationships for Winstar Interactive.

Working with carriers, Amobee's technology dynamically inserts ad impressions in mobile communication and content such as WAP browsing, music and videos, SMS and MMS messages, games and applications.

What makes this Boost deal unique is the birth of carrier-centric advertising inventory, said Roger Wood, senior vice president and general manager at Amobee.

"The first three screens that a consumer sees on their mobile phone will be considered the most valuable and scarce digital real estate throughout a consumer's daily journey," Mr. Wood said. "That is the visual real estate on which Boost customers are viewing these ads.

"The only other visual real estate which rivals the first three screens on a consumer's cell phone would be the text messaging screens, which consumers use to view time- and topic-sensitive notes between themselves," he said.

"These two types of screens - the greeting screen or the default screen on the mobile phone and the text-message screen - are 100 percent controlled by the carrier. This visual real estate is what Amobee manages ... It is effectively the beachfront property of mobile in every way."