Ashley Madison
Encyclopedia
Ashley Madison is an online dating service
and social network service
marketed primarily to people who are already in a relationship
. The website was launched in 2001.
Ashley Madison claims to have over 10 million members and Alexa.org shows the site receiving roughly 700,000 unique visitors per month.
AshleyMadison is a pay website and service; you can't initiate contact with other members without being a member, however non-members can respond to emails from members. The name of the site was created from two popular female baby names "Ashley" and "Madison".
.
In 2009, NBC
banned an Ashley Madison ad from appearing in Super Bowl XLIII
. Biderman described the banning as ridiculous, stating that the NFL allows advertisements for alcohol, even though alcohol causes thousands of deaths every year. Biderman considers the NFL demographic a core audience of the site and promises to "find a way to let them know about the existence of this service."
In December 2009, Ashley Madison attempted to purchase $200,000 worth of advertising on Toronto Transit Commission
streetcars. The plan was rejected after five of the six committee members voted against it. If approved, 10 streetcars would have been skinned with Ashley Madison's slogan
"Life is short. Have an affair". The TTC
commissioner showed displeasure in the ads stating, "When it’s a core fundamental value around cheating or lying, we’re not going to let those kinds of ads go on". After the deal was rejected, Biderman offered to subsidize ticket prices by 25 cents if the deal went through. This would have reduced the ticket rate to $2.50. The TTC's refusal to take Ashley Madison advertising was made more controversial after the February 2010 admission by the Chair of the TTC, Adam Giambrone
, that he himself had several times cheated on his long-time girlfriend. The admission caused Giambrone to cancel a planned campaign for mayor of Toronto but has not changed the TTC's policy on the ads.
, accused Ashley Madison of being a "business built on the back of broken hearts, ruined marriages and damaged families". Biderman responded by stating that the site is "just a platform" and a website or a commercial will not convince anyone to commit adultery
.
While Biderman claims to be the founder of Ashley Madison, even describing his thought process on coming up with the concept for the company and naming it "Ashley Madison", this appears to conflict with reports that the company was founded by Darren Morgenstern.
On February 22, 2010, the company approached the city of Phoenix, Arizona with an offer of $10 million to rename the Sky Harbor Airport
to Ashley Madison International Airport over a five-year period. Even though the city was in financial trouble, it rejected the offer.
On June 10, 2010, TMZ.com
reported that Ashley Madison made an offer to rename New Meadowlands Stadium to AshleyMadison.com Stadium.
In October 2011, Ashley Madison offered the Italian basketball
club Virtus Roma
a jersey sponsorship deal worth €1.5 million, much of which would supposedly be spent on returning locked-out
NBA
player Andrea Bargnani
to his homeland. A Roman Catholic priest, Msgr. Flavio Capucci, strongly attacked the proposed deal. Capucci called it "a betrayal of the value and identity of sport". The player himself denied any role in the deal.
Online dating service
Online dating or Internet dating is a dating system which allows individuals, couples and groups to make contact and communicate with each other over the Internet, usually with the objective of developing a personal, romantic, or sexual relationship...
and social network service
Social network service
A social networking service is an online service, platform, or site that focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social relations among people, who, for example, share interests and/or activities. A social network service consists of a representation of each user , his/her social...
marketed primarily to people who are already in a relationship
Intimate relationship
An intimate relationship is a particularly close interpersonal relationship that involves physical or emotional intimacy. Physical intimacy is characterized by romantic or passionate love and attachment, or sexual activity. The term is also sometimes used euphemistically for a sexual...
. The website was launched in 2001.
Ashley Madison claims to have over 10 million members and Alexa.org shows the site receiving roughly 700,000 unique visitors per month.
AshleyMadison is a pay website and service; you can't initiate contact with other members without being a member, however non-members can respond to emails from members. The name of the site was created from two popular female baby names "Ashley" and "Madison".
Advertisements
Ashley Madison advertises with TV commercials, billboards, and radio ads, by the CEO, Noel BidermanNoel Biderman
Noel Biderman is the CEO of Avid Life Media, who owns a dating web site geared toward married individuals looking for an affair. Ashley Madison company was founded in 2001...
.
In 2009, NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
banned an Ashley Madison ad from appearing in Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League champion for the 2008 season. The game was played on February 1, 2009,...
. Biderman described the banning as ridiculous, stating that the NFL allows advertisements for alcohol, even though alcohol causes thousands of deaths every year. Biderman considers the NFL demographic a core audience of the site and promises to "find a way to let them know about the existence of this service."
In December 2009, Ashley Madison attempted to purchase $200,000 worth of advertising on Toronto Transit Commission
Toronto Transit Commission
-Island Ferry:The ferry service to the Toronto Islands was operated by the TTC from 1927 until 1962, when it was transferred to the Metro Parks and Culture department. Since 1998, the ferry service is run by Toronto Parks and Recreation.-Gray Coach:...
streetcars. The plan was rejected after five of the six committee members voted against it. If approved, 10 streetcars would have been skinned with Ashley Madison's slogan
Slogan
A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a political, commercial, religious and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose. The word slogan is derived from slogorn which was an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic sluagh-ghairm . Slogans vary from the written and the...
"Life is short. Have an affair". The TTC
Toronto Transit Commission
-Island Ferry:The ferry service to the Toronto Islands was operated by the TTC from 1927 until 1962, when it was transferred to the Metro Parks and Culture department. Since 1998, the ferry service is run by Toronto Parks and Recreation.-Gray Coach:...
commissioner showed displeasure in the ads stating, "When it’s a core fundamental value around cheating or lying, we’re not going to let those kinds of ads go on". After the deal was rejected, Biderman offered to subsidize ticket prices by 25 cents if the deal went through. This would have reduced the ticket rate to $2.50. The TTC's refusal to take Ashley Madison advertising was made more controversial after the February 2010 admission by the Chair of the TTC, Adam Giambrone
Adam Giambrone
Adam Giambrone is a Canadian politician who was a Toronto City Councillor, representing the southern of two Davenport wards. Elected at 26, he remained the youngest member of Toronto council after re-election. He is also a former president of the federal New Democratic Party...
, that he himself had several times cheated on his long-time girlfriend. The admission caused Giambrone to cancel a planned campaign for mayor of Toronto but has not changed the TTC's policy on the ads.
Controversy
Since its launch, Ashley Madison has drawn heavy criticism over the subject matter of the site. Trish McDermott, a consultant who helped found Match.comMatch.com
Match.com is an online dating company which reportedly has more than 20 million members, made up of a 49/51 male/female ratio, and Web sites serving 25 countries in more than 8 different languages. Its headquarters are in Dallas, Texas and the company also has offices in West Hollywood, Tokyo, Rio,...
, accused Ashley Madison of being a "business built on the back of broken hearts, ruined marriages and damaged families". Biderman responded by stating that the site is "just a platform" and a website or a commercial will not convince anyone to commit adultery
Adultery
Adultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
.
While Biderman claims to be the founder of Ashley Madison, even describing his thought process on coming up with the concept for the company and naming it "Ashley Madison", this appears to conflict with reports that the company was founded by Darren Morgenstern.
On February 22, 2010, the company approached the city of Phoenix, Arizona with an offer of $10 million to rename the Sky Harbor Airport
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located southeast of the central business district of the city of Phoenix, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States...
to Ashley Madison International Airport over a five-year period. Even though the city was in financial trouble, it rejected the offer.
On June 10, 2010, TMZ.com
TMZ.com
TMZ.com is a celebrity news website that debuted on November 8, 2005. It was a collaboration between America Online and Telepictures Productions, a division of Warner Bros., until Time Warner divested AOL in 2009. However, it is still affiliated with AOL News and has the AOL News logo affixed in...
reported that Ashley Madison made an offer to rename New Meadowlands Stadium to AshleyMadison.com Stadium.
In October 2011, Ashley Madison offered the Italian basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
club Virtus Roma
Pallacanestro Virtus Roma
Pallacanestro Virtus Roma, also known for sponsorship reasons as Acea Virtus Roma, is a prominent Italian League professional basketball club, and is also currently one of 13 European clubs that hold ULEB A Licenses, which provide their holders with a guaranteed place in the Euroleague. The club...
a jersey sponsorship deal worth €1.5 million, much of which would supposedly be spent on returning locked-out
2011 NBA lockout
The 2011 NBA lockout is the fourth lockout in the history of the National Basketball Association . The owners began the work stoppage at 12:01 am EDT on July 1, 2011. The main issues dividing the owners and the players are revenue sharing and the structure of the salary cap...
NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
player Andrea Bargnani
Andrea Bargnani
Andrea Bargnani , nicknamed "Il Mago" , is an Italian professional basketball player with the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association. He was selected first overall in the 2006 NBA Draft. He is a power forward/center standing at 213 cm and weighing 113.4 kg...
to his homeland. A Roman Catholic priest, Msgr. Flavio Capucci, strongly attacked the proposed deal. Capucci called it "a betrayal of the value and identity of sport". The player himself denied any role in the deal.