SAN DIEGO, Sept. 5, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Leap Wireless International, Inc. (OTCBB:LWIQE), an innovator of wireless communications services, today announced that its operating subsidiary Cricket Communications, Inc. has named Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners as the agency-of-record to handle Cricket's advertising account, which is valued at $20-$25 million annually.
"As we continue to expand our Cricket service offering by introducing additional value-added products to customers, we believe it is important to be working with an advertising agency that brings to the table the breadth of consumer marketing experience that will help us evolve the Cricket brand," said Harvey White, Leap's CEO. "Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners brings the level of enthusiasm, talent and experience we were looking for in an advertising agency."
"We chose Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners because of the agency's disciplined and comprehensive approach to brand building and its ability to deliver fresh creative ideas," said Aimee Irwin, Director of Marketing, Cricket Communications. "We look forward to working with the agency and rolling out a series of campaigns starting in the fourth quarter to convey Cricket's unique value proposition and help continue to grow our subscriber base."
"We are pleased to be on board as Cricket's advertising agency, especially as the company continues to evolve its service offerings," said Greg Stern, CEO, Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners. "Already we have several innovative ideas for the Cricket advertising campaign, which we believe will further build awareness and brand equity."
As Cricket's new advertising agency-of-record, Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners will develop creative strategies that communicate what Cricket is all about -- providing a clean, simple, and predictable wireless service. In June the company began an extensive selection process, which entailed a review of more than 20 advertising agencies from across the country.
With Cricket service available in 20 states stretching from New York to California, Leap's subsidiary is the ninth largest service provider in the U.S. in terms of customers.
About Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners
Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners is a leading independent advertising, design, interactive and direct marketing firm. BSSP is well regarded for its combination of unique creative product and fully integrated marketing communication strategies. The firm is responsible for many notable and award winning campaigns in its ten-year history. Current clients include: Anchor Blue, Diageo Chateau and Estates, Health Net, VeriSign, Pottery Barn, Good Guys, Ubi Soft, Noah's Bagels, Men's Health, SmartWool and Weider Nutrition. For more information about BSSP, please visit http://www.bsands.com
About Cricket Service
With Cricket(r) service, customers can make unlimited calls over their service area for a low, flat rate. Cricket customers can call long distance anywhere for a little more -- just 8 cents per minute to anywhere in the United States and just 18 cents per minute anytime to anywhere in Mexico or Canada. The service offers text messaging, voicemail, caller ID, three-way calling and call waiting for a small additional monthly fee. Cricket also offers downloadable Ringtones. The extra value Cricket(r) Talk rate plan is $39.99 per month plus tax, which includes unlimited local calls, 500 free minutes of U.S. long distance and a three-feature package (including caller ID, call waiting and three-way calling). Cricket service is an affordable wireless alternative to traditional landline service, and appeals to people completely new to wireless -- from students to young families and local business people. For more information, please visit www.mycricket.com.
About Leap
Leap, headquartered in San Diego, Calif., is a customer-focused company providing innovative communications services for the mass market. Leap pioneered the Cricket Comfortable Wireless(r) service that lets customers make all of their local calls from within their local calling area and receive calls from anywhere for one low, flat rate. For more information, please visit www.leapwireless.com.
Except for the historical information contained herein, this news release contains "forward-looking statements" reflecting management's current forecast of certain aspects of Leap's future. Some forward-looking statements can be identified by forward-looking words such as "believe," "think," "may," "could," "will," "estimate," "continue," "anticipate," "intend," "seek," "plan," "expect," "should," "would" and similar expressions. This news release is based on current information, which we have assessed but which by its nature is dynamic and subject to rapid and even abrupt changes. Our actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied by such forward-looking statements due to risks and uncertainties associated with our business. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include, but are not limited to:
-- our ability to cause a Chapter 11 plan of reorganization to be
timely and fully confirmed by the Bankruptcy Court, and our
ability to successfully implement the plan;
-- our ability to continue as a going concern;
-- our ability to obtain Bankruptcy Court approval with respect to
motions prosecuted by us in our Chapter 11 cases from time to
time;
-- risks associated with third parties seeking and obtaining
Bankruptcy Court approval to terminate or shorten the exclusivity
period for Leap, Cricket and substantially all of their
subsidiaries to propose and confirm one or more plans of
reorganization, for the appointment of a Chapter 11 trustee or to
convert the Chapter 11 cases of Leap, Cricket and substantially
all of their subsidiaries to Chapter 7 cases;
-- our ability to obtain and maintain normal terms with vendors and
service providers;
-- our ability to maintain contracts that are critical to our
operations;
-- the potential adverse impacts of the Chapter 11 cases on the
liquidity or results of operations of Leap and Cricket;
-- our ability to attract, motivate and/or retain key executives and
other employees;
-- our ability to attract and retain customers;
-- the unsettled nature of the wireless market, the current economic
slowdown, service offerings of increasingly large bundles of
minutes of use at increasingly low prices by some major carriers,
other issues facing the telecommunications industry in general,
our announcement of restructuring discussions, and our subsequent
Chapter 11 filing, which have created a level of uncertainty that
adversely affects our ability to predict future customer growth,
as well as other key operating metrics;
-- changes in economic conditions that could adversely affect the
market for wireless services;
-- the acceptance of our product offering by our prospective
customers;
-- the effects of actions beyond our control in our distribution
network;
-- rulings by courts or the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
adversely affecting our rights to own and/or operate certain
wireless licenses, or changes in our ownership that could
adversely affect our status as an "entrepreneur" under FCC rules
and regulations;
-- our ability to maintain our cost, market penetration and pricing
structure in the face of competition;
-- failure of network systems to perform according to expectations;
-- the effects of competition;
-- global political unrest, including the threat or occurrence of war
or acts of terrorism; and
-- other factors detailed in the section entitled "Risk Factors"
included in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal
quarter ended March 31, 2003 and in our other SEC filings.
The forward-looking statements should be considered in the context of these risk factors. Investors and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Leap and the Leap logo design are trademarks of Leap Wireless International, Inc. Cricket and Comfortable Wireless are registered trademarks of Cricket Communications, Inc.