Widgets Keep Advertisers On Users' Desks And Minds

Ad executives often say that good creative cannot be churned out like so many “widgets,” a handy catchall term signifying any commodity. But now advertisers are using the term to describe a specific new application, one they hope will break through Internet clutter to connect with consumers.

Widgets are mini-Web applications that are downloaded onto a user’s desktop or transported into personal Web pages, blogs and social-network profiles. For users, they are a source of constantly updated information, from weather to sports scores to personal photos, that can eliminate the need to visit multiple Web sites.