In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a client
application for enabling access to an online service and displaying
advertisements while the user is accessing the online service. The client
application receives play lists from the online service provider. The play
lists include information about advertisements to be played and the order
of play. The client application displays advertisements continuously
within a dedicated client window while the user is connected to and/or
using the online service. The client application preferably records
informational data related to the user. When the user clicks-on an
advertisement, the client application and an online server forward the
user's informational data to the advertisement's sponsor. The sponsor uses
the information to provide the user with customized information related to
the advertisement.