Publishing firm CondéNet has found success in a manner most unexpected: using Facebook applications to engage users and point them to flagship sites and key advertisers, reports Mediaweek.

Facebook's third-party apps don't just give service-hawkers a foot in the door; they also provide a platform for ad-serving.

Earlier this year CondéNet bought the independently-produced "What Are You Wearing?" app, which allows users to share what they're wearing with others.

The application, sans CondéNet branding, currently boasts about 90,000 users. What CondéNet has done is place ads from Guess, a major sponsor with the network, on the application.

The Facebook app has yielded quicker success than CondéNet has found with widgets or other tools developed in-house.