Mortimer Whittaker O'Sullivan will be repitching for the account, with AOL expecting to make a decision on the fate of the business within six to eight weeks.
Connie is the female pseudo-computer-generated character, who has helped persuade confused would-be web users and concerned parents that AOL is the right internet service provider for them. She has been the face of the brand since September 1998, but does not appear in the latest advertising for AOL, for the launch of AOL 8.0, which is more lifestyle orientated.
Sharon Lang, vice-president of marketing for AOL UK, said: "Connie has represented AOL's values to consumers better than we could have imagined. Her success means she can take a more flexible role as we move into a more aspirational and dynamic online environment, while still providing the underlying and enduring core values of the AOL brand."
The company is in the process of reviewing its external agency arrangements as part of best practice. Last month, it appointed cdp-travissully to run a campaign for the interactive marketing team, and earlier in the year it reappointed Hall & Partners after reviewing its brand tracking agency arrangements.
Following the creative review, AOL is likely to look at its media agencies, although a spokesman for the company said it had a close relationship with incumbent agency BBJ Media Services.
The changing nature of internet use has prompted AOL's shift in advertising, with more users switching to broadband, and the shift from using it just to access email to becoming a source of entertainment via music download sites and the rising use of video.
"We built the AOL brand on the foundation values of safety, ease of use, product differentiation and being family friendly. Now we are ready to show that, as an AOL member, there is also a world of entertainment, excitement and opportunity online," Lang said.
AOL UK has more than 2m members, who each spend an average of more than one hour a day online.
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