In October, Volvo Cars of North America announced its plan to market its new S60 sedan exclusively online.

In October, Volvo Cars of North America announced its plan to market its new S60 sedan exclusively online. Now, as the car company takes the campaign to the next level by going offline with marketing, the decision to start with an online-only effort is coming under fire by dealers who say the campaign actually hurt sales. In a time of increasing debate over the value of Web advertising, Volvo's decision to tap the Internet as its chief marketing medium for a core vehicle in its lineup was a first in the automotive industry. In addition to banner ads, the campaign included a sizable promotion in conjunction with America Online. Through the promotion, AOL members who purchase a Volvo S60 are offered $2,100 in accessories for no extra charge. Ads supporting the promotion appear throughout AOL's Auto Channel and elsewhere on the service, as well as on various related AOL properties like MapQuest and Digital City sites. The promotions aim to direct traffic to the vehicle's launch site, www.revolvolution.com, which registers prospects and directs visitors to dealers.