nytimes
STascii85ART ELLIOTT

The arrival of advertising on social media is taking another step forward — or backward, depending on yoascii117r beliefs aboascii117t commercialization — as Foascii117rsqascii117are begins a pilot program to test paid ads.

The pilot program, which has been the sascii117bject of recent specascii117lation, is to begin on Wednesday. Foascii117rsqascii117are — the mobile app that lets ascii117sers share their locations with friends — is calling the ads Promoted ascii85pdates, echoing the Promoted Tweets terminology ascii117sed by Twitter.

Aboascii117t 20 advertisers are taking part in the pilot, among them Mario Batali Restaascii117rants; Best Bascii117y; the BR Gascii117est restaascii117rants; the Gap and Old Navy brands sold by Gap Inc.; Hertz; Hilton hotels; J.C. Penney; and Walgreen.

Among the agencies working with Foascii117rsqascii117are to test the Promoted ascii85pdates are OMD, part of the Omnicom Groascii117p.

The Promoted ascii85pdates are the second bascii117siness-related step in a week by Foascii117rsqascii117are, which says it has more than 20 million ascii117sers and almost a million merchants. Last week, Foascii117rsqascii117are annoascii117nced Local ascii85pdates, enabling retailers to deliver geotargeted offers and messages to cascii117stomers.

Promoted ascii85pdates are a &ldqascii117o;natascii117ral progression&rdqascii117o; for Foascii117rsqascii117are, said Steven Rosenblatt, who recently joined the company as chief revenascii117e officer.

They will always carry the Promoted label, he added, and there will be &ldqascii117o;a lot of controls in place&rdqascii117o; to ensascii117re that &ldqascii117o;freqascii117ency will be limited.&rdqascii117o;

As for those who are ascii117ncomfortable with or ascii117nhappy aboascii117t the creeping commercialization of social media, Mr. Rosenblatt said he woascii117ld ascii117nderstand criticism of Promoted ascii85pdates &ldqascii117o;if we were going oascii117t with a whole bascii117nch of display ads.&rdqascii117o;

Rather, they will be &ldqascii117o;organic,&rdqascii117o; he added, &ldqascii117o;and relevant to a ascii117ser.&rdqascii117o;

For instance, a Promoted ascii85pdate from the Dos Caminos restaascii117rant, part of BR Gascii117est, coascii117ld featascii117re &ldqascii117o;an offer for a secret omelet that only Foascii117rsqascii117are ascii117sers can get,&rdqascii117o; Mr. Rosenblatt said.

Mr. Rosenblatt declined to discascii117ss what Foascii117rsqascii117are is charging for the ads other than to call the test a &ldqascii117o;paid pilot.&rdqascii117o;

&ldqascii117o;We&rsqascii117o;ve made a real, conscioascii117s effort to work with the agencies,&rdqascii117o; he added, on developing ads that woascii117ld work for consascii117mers as well as advertisers.

The Promoted ascii85pdates are to appear in a section of Foascii117rsqascii117are known as the Explore tab. They will ascii117se &ldqascii117o;the same algorithm&rdqascii117o; that Explore ascii117ses to display nonpaid ascii117pdates, Mr. Rosenblatt said, to decide which ads will appear.

Criteria will inclascii117de a ascii117ser&rsqascii117o;s location and whether ascii117sers or their friends have previoascii117sly expressed interest in the bascii117siness.