AT&T Wireless Services chooses McCann- Erickson San Francisco; agency to handle contract for national wireless expansion

Business Wire, Jan 18, 1996

KIRKLAND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 18, 1996--AT&T Wireless Services announced today that it had chosen McCann-Erickson San Francisco as its new advertising agency to handle its existing cellular, messaging, aviation services and wireless data business as well as new service areas obtained as a result of the recent FCC auctions for PCS licenses.

Combined, these areas will allow AT&T Wireless to serve over 80% of the United States.

McCann-Erickson will handle all of AT&T Wireless Services' advertising and direct response communications with customers and prospective customers beginning in April with the first advertising to show up in markets in early summer. Billings are estimated to be in excess of $40 million annually.

Commenting on the appointment, AT&T Wireless Services Vice President of Marketing Neve Savage said, "McCann-Erickson had all the things we were looking for in an agency relationship: a strong regional system, excellent creative capabilities, and sound strategic thinking from concept right through to the retail level."

AT&T Wireless Services (formerly McCaw Cellular Communications Inc.) is the nation's cellular service provider with licenses in over 105 markets covering 40% of the U.S. population. In the recent FCC auctions the company purchased 21 new service areas doubling its service area. The company is also the fifth largest messaging (or paging) operator in the country and is a leader in the air-to-ground and ground-to-air communications business on both commercial and private aircraft.

CONTACT: Bob Ratliffe, SVP Communications

206/828-8685

206/979-4254 (Cellular)