AOL CDs were everywhere in the 1990s and early 2000s. They were memes before memes became a thing. Estimates suggest that between 1993 and 2006, AOL sent out over a billion CDs and during its peak, these CDs made up half of total CD production worldwide. These CDs offered free hours with AOL, something that could supposedly “transform you into an extraordinary person free of charge”.
The CDs were pretty much distributed everywhere. Through the mail, attached to magazines, given out by people at train stations etc. The marketing strategy was referred to as “carpet bombing”. You’d soon have so many lying around that they’d be used for other purposes, for example, as a bookmark or a coaster.
The promotional blitz worked. Despite massive amounts of plastic waste being produced (clearly not a concern to a corporate behemoth), AOL grew from 200,000 subscribers in 1992 to 25 million within a decade. Today, some AOL CDs are niche collectibles and some are even being sold on eBay for around $400.Â
