AOL takes AIM at the college market

AOL launched a rebranded effort to get college students to adopt AIM for instant messaging (and now VOIP, SMS, video, etc courtesy of their Triton release). Check out this quote:

The company decided to focus on the college audience because it’s full of instant messaging early adopters. Still, AOL hopes the viral effect, which has gotten AIM to more than 43 million users with no advertising thus far, will help spread the message further.

Spend 5 minutes with today’s average college student, and you’ll feel like an Luddite when it comes to IM. It’s like breathing to many of them, so nice segment to target here. And 43 million users with no advertising…that certainly qualifies as viral.