Yahoo (NSDQ: YHOO) is bringing ads to its log-in page — which is among the most visited pages on its site but has historically been ad-free. The company says the move provides marketers with a “new premium advertising solution to reach online audiences at mass scale.” The first advertiser is Chevrolet, which is taking over the entire background of the log-in page to push its vehicles. This could be a substantial revenue generator for the company; Peter Kafka notes that similar ad units on Yahoo’s less trafficked OMG.com go for $80,000 a day.
Take a look at the ad, however, and you’re reminded about why Yahoo and competitors like Windows Live and Google (NSDQ: GOOG) may have avoided putting ads on their log-in pages for so long. The Chevrolet ad is so dominant you feel like you’re giving your log-in information to Chevrolet.com and not Yahoo.com. That doesn’t seem to mesh with Yahoo’s stated goal of cutting back on the number of ads it runs on some of its sites — and eliminating others — in order to improve the user experience.

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