WSJ.com is launching its first multimillion pound European advertising campaign next week positioning the site as the best provider of business news on the web.

The campaign, created by BBDO Dusseldorf, will incorporate print, TV, internet and direct mail campaigns and will run across key European markets including the UK.

The first burst of work, due to break next week, will include press advertising in Time, The Economist, Director and Management Today. This will be supported with a heavy online presence across news and business affairs websites including FT.com, etrade.co.uk, marketeye.co.uk, The street.com and Skynews.com.

Advertising will run until the end of the year and will focus heavily on the WSJ.com's 30-day free trial period.

First launched in April 1996 WSJ.com claims to have increased its paid subscription base by more than 50 per cent in the past year, bringing its total number of subscribers to 500,000. It has also recently announced plans to expand its presence in Asia with the appointment of a senior editor for Asia/Pacific.

It also recently expanded its online market data offering with the addition of quotes and portfolio features for markets in several countries in Europe, Latin America and the Asia/Pacific region.