To clarify, Mossberg reviews Ask’s technology, not its ads.  He even compares Ask’s search to Google’s – favorably – throughout much of the piece.  Ask needs to cancel its current ad campaigns, and then use the savings to buy and distribute copies of Mossberg’s article.

The WSJ writer states, “Google’s approach, which it calls ‘universal search,’ is a modest thing, a first step in what it says will be a long effort to break down barriers between different types of information a user may be seeking, such as Web links, images and news.”  Fair enough.

Mossberg then continues, “But Ask’s new system, called ‘Ask3D,’ is a much bolder and better advance in unifying different kinds of results and presenting them in a more effective manner.  It shows, once again, that Ask places a higher priority than its competitors do on making search results easy to navigate and use.”

It’s important to note that this widely respected writer isn’t just comparing the engines’ appearances; Mossberg refers to specific searches (for “Red Sox” and “James Taylor”) as evidence that Ask does a better job than Google.

He later concludes his article by writing, “Ask’s new design is much more compelling and well worth a try.”  Yeah, I think that quote would be a much more effective advertising tool than parading around “chicks with swords” or Kato Kaelin.

Hat tip to Barry Schwartz.