Pinterest to start first US ad campaign

Pinterest is advertising to add users as other, larger networks start to mimic parts of its product

Why join yet another social network?

That’s the question keeping people from signing up for Pinterest, according to Chief Executive Officer Ben Silbermann. Except they have the wrong impression. Pinterest is a site for coming up with ideas, he says. People do post photos and videos, but it’s not to get likes or comments — it’s to remember what inspires them.

This summer, Pinterest is launching its first major advertising campaign in the US. It’s considering spending on billboards, websites, newspapers and magazines to get its message across. 

“The No. 1 challenge is getting people to understand that Pinterest isn’t a social network,”