AdWeek Magazine

Katy Eckmann

Close Call Goes To Market With 919 Marketing

ATLANTA—Upstart marketing consultancy 919 Marketing in Holly Springs, NC quintupled its billings by landing the $12 million prepaid phone-card account of Sports Marketing Enterprises. The account will be handled on a fee basis.

A wholly owned subsidiary of R.J. Reynolds, SME is rolling out its Close Call phone card this week. The card, available at convenience stores across the country, includes an instant win scratch off sweepstakes contest that will pay $60 million in prizes each year.

"It's a phone card with a twist" said David Chapman, President of 919 Marketing. Chapman opened the doors to his shop last fall after leaving his post as Senior Vice President, Director of Account Service at West & Vaughan in Durham, NC. He had previous ties to SME during his tenure at Interpublic Group’s Winston-Salem, NC location.

"David has done some things great with us in the past", said SME Brand Manager Melanie Henson. "For us, it was a real easy decision."

The client had also approached Long Haymes Carr, which handles sports marketing for R.J. Reynolds Winston, Salem, Camel and Vantage brands. LHC decided not to pursue the business due to possible conflict with its BellSouth client. SME considered other undisclosed North Carolina shops for the account.

Ultimately, the idea of a nontraditional agency structure won out. "Because it's a brand new product, we needed to work with a company who could be really, really flexible," said Henson. SME has found a common demographic among consumers who do not have long distance service, convenience store customers, lottery players and racecar enthusiasts.

919 Marketing is responsible for consumer and trade advertising, direct mail, collateral, database consulting, interactive media, point-of-sale and card design. The agency is in the final stages of choosing a media-buying partner.

919 handles strategic planning and account management in-house and draws upon freelance creative resources nationwide. Other accounts include Nationwide Homes, Lowe’s Home Improvement and Kooler Kraft, which bill over $3 million.