AOL and BermanBraun Relaunch Pet Site PawNation

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today AOL Inc., a premier digital media company, and BermanBraun, a well-known and creative innovator, announced the relaunch of PawNation, a top-ranked website that provides animal lovers with the latest pet lifestyle, nutrition, training, behavior and grooming news.*

“Since Bayer HealthCare Animal Health, makers of K9 Advantix® II, is committed to the health and well-being of companion animals, we are very delighted about our partnership with PawNation”

From alpacas to zebras, dogs to cats, editors will curate the best pet and animal content into one destination. Readers will find the perfect mix of tips, news, pet health and product reviews, plus videos and photos of the cutest animals on the planet. Visitors will be guided by our two mascots: Chopper, a terrier mix best known for his appearances in Pirates of the Caribbean and Travelers Insurance commercials, and Cairo, an Egyptian Mau made famous by her starring role in Catwoman.

PawNation is overseen by Saryn Chorney.

“Pets are a huge part of millions of families and PawNation believes pets deserve the Hollywood treatment,” said Saryn Chorney, Editor in Chief of PawNation.com. "I’m so excited to launch this destination as a complete experience to promote pets and animal culture on the Web.”

Features on PawNation include:

Pet Profiles – Owners can create profiles and upload photos of their pets to compete in the ‘Who’s Cutest?’ game, as well as vote and earn badges for their pet.
Featured Columns – Many unique personalities pen columns for PawNation, including Chopper and Cairo, Matilda, the resident feline of New York City’s Algonquin Hotel; Lucy, a world traveling pampered pooch; the Bronx Zoo Cobra, made famous after his escape from the zoo last year, and Randall, the narrator behind the viral “Honey Badger” video.
The Dish – A news hub of current events, celebrity pet updates, and causes and op-ed pieces about trending topics from the animal kingdom.
Adoptions – Adoption tips and pet matches are made available through a partnership with PetFinder.
Dog and Cat Symptom Checkers - Powered by petMD, this tool helps owners determine their pet’s ailments.

At launch, PawNation is sponsored by ARM & HAMMER® and Bayer HealthCare Animal Health.

“Since Bayer HealthCare Animal Health, makers of K9 Advantix® II, is committed to the health and well-being of companion animals, we are very delighted about our partnership with PawNation,” said David van Brunt, head of companion animal marketing at Bayer Animal Health. “With PawNation, Bayer looks forward to building a dynamic online community where pets and their parents can come together to laugh and learn.”

“Church & Dwight Co., Inc. the makers of ARM & HAMMER® Cat Litter are very pleased to partner with PawNation,” said Rithika Naik, product manager, ARM & HAMMER® Cat Litter. “Together we will bring informative and engaging content, entertainment and valuable offers to pet owners all in one place. We are excited to be one of the inaugural partners in this endeavor."

Event in New York City

To kick off the launch of PawNation and celebrate animals of all species, AOL and BermanBraun will host a Pet Rally in New York City on Saturday, April 14^th in Tompkins Square Park from 10:00am to 2:00pm. Attendees are encouraged to bring their pets and participate in “The PawNation All-American Pet Pageant” at 1:00pm. They will also have access to a free pet photo shoot, gourmet pet treats, food trucks, giveaways, prizes and more. The North Shore Animal League will also be on site with adoptable pets. Randall, PawNation columnist and the narrator behind the viral “Honey Badger” video, will emcee the Pet Rally, judge the pet pageant with Champ the K9 Advantix® II mascot, and sign books for fans.

*March 2012 comScore Media Metrix

About AOL:

AOL Inc. (NYSE: AOL) is a brand company, committed to continuously innovating, growing, and investing in brands and experiences that inform, entertain, and connect the world. The home of a world-class collection of premium brands, AOL creates original content that engages audiences on a local and global scale. We help marketers connect with these audiences through effective and engaging digital advertising solutions.

About BermanBraun:

BermanBraun is an independent media company with three divisions -- television, feature film and digital -- which create and exploit entertainment content and advertising solutions across all platforms throughout the world.

BermanBraun's digital division has created and operates some of the most popular properties online. They include the celebrity news site WONDERWALL, which BermanBraun launched in partnership with Microsoft in February 2009. The site is the primary celebrity destination on the MSN network, and currently ranks first in engagement among all competitive sites in entertainment news. The site has averaged over 17 million unique users over the last 3 months. WONDERWALL has averaged over a billion page views per month for the period December 2011 thru February 2012. In April 2010, BermanBraun launched GLO -- a site created in partnership with MSN and Hearst. GLO features an innovative design that creates a unique “digital magazine” experience for women seeking style, beauty and lifestyle content. GLO averages over 5 million monthly uniques and currently ranks first in engagement among competitive sites in its fashion/beauty category. BermanBraun is launching three new sites with AOL in 2012 in the categories of weather, pets and men. BermanBraun also created and operates the sites WONDERWALL LATINO and POWERWALL.

BermanBraun recently acquired Whiskey Media, CNET Founder Shelby Bonnie’s media and technology company based in San Francisco that has created a next generation publishing, data and social tools platform. BermanBraun recently launched its first site built on the Whiskey platform – TESTED WITH JAMIE AND ADAM. Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage are the stars of the hit television show MYTHBUSTERS on Discovery Channel, and have a strategic alliance with BermanBraun to create television and digital content and brands.

In television, BermanBraun is producing the series ALPHAS (currently airing on SyFy); UNCHAINED REACTION (currently airing on Discovery Channel); JUNK GYPSIES (to air in 2012 on HGTV); POLYAMORY (to air in 2012 on Showtime) and two additional new series to be produced with MythBusters stars Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage for Discovery Channel. BermanBraun is also producing the scripted pilots NOTORIOUS for NBC; REWIND for SyFy; UNTITLED LOUIS CK/SPIKE FERESTEN PROJECT for CBS.