Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Nextel "Spin Masters" are Back To Work After The Holidays

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 07 Jan 2003 20:25:36 -0500

Press Release  Source: Mullen

Nextel "Spin Masters" are Back To Work After The Holidays

 Nextel Advertising Campaign Touts Benefits of
 Walkie-Talkie Feature with Real-Life Scenarios
 with Popular Television Stars
 Tuesday January 7, 4:35 pm ET

 "Sex and the City's" Kristin Davis, George Lopez, Rob Lowe,
 "Will & Grace's" Eric McCormack Among Celebrities Featured

 WENHAM, Mass. and RESTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 7, 2003-- Nextel
 Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: NXTL - News) is releasing a series of new television
 commercials featuring four celebrities in true-to-life scenarios from their personal and
 business lives using Nextel Direct Connect®, the incredible long-range digital
 walkie-talkie service. The campaign features Kristin Davis ("Sex and the City"), Rob
 Lowe, Eric McCormack ("Will and Grace") and George Lopez ("The George Lopez
 Show") in everyday, relatable situations highlighting Nextel's instant communication and
 how it helps them rise above life's challenges.

                                        Created by Mullen of Wenham,
                                        Mass., the campaign is centered on
                                        the theme is that even the best are
                                        better with Nextel® phones instead of
                                        ordinary cellular phones that do not
                                        have the Direct Connect(TM)
                                        feature. The four new spots employ
                                        a split screen to illustrate each
                                        celebrity's life with and without the
                                        benefit of Nextel's unique Direct
                                        Connect service. The campaign
                                        includes television, print and radio.

                                        "Our new campaign continues to
                                        demonstrate Direct Connect as our
                                        key differentiator and its benefits,
                                        said Mark Schweitzer, Nextel's vice
                                        president marketing. "Continuing to
 feature celebrities in our ads is the result of our successful campaign strategy from
 2002 where we featured NYPD Blue TV star Dennis Franz demonstrating the many
 ways Direct Connect can be used in everyday situations."

 "Consumers love to see celebrities in advertising. They just don't want to see them
 standing up and shilling a product," said Edward Boches, Chief Creative Officer at
 Mullen. "These spots are as much about Nextel endorsing Kristin, Eric, Rob and
 George as they are about the stars endorsing Nextel. We're letting them play
 themselves and be themselves, even to the extent of showing them in moments of
 embarrassment. That's what makes the spots charming, and inevitably memorable."

 In one spot, Kristin Davis is at an airport, waiting to board her flight. She pulls out
her
 cell phone to make a call and the screen splits in two. On the top screen, Kristin's life
is
 troubled. She uses her cell phone to reach someone to pick her up early but gets no
 answer. Once her flight touches down in Los Angeles, she struggles with her bags on
 the carousel, then gets stuck in a revolving door. Finally, she reaches a taxi and
 attempts to load her suitcase in the trunk. Meanwhile on the bottom screen, Kristin
 fares much better. She uses her Nextel Direct Connect walkie-talkie feature and
 reaches her boyfriend instantly. "Hey sweetie, I got on an early flight out of Boston.
Can
 you still pick me up?" she asks. "Sure, I'll be there," he answers. Next viewers see
 Kristin as her handsome boyfriend greets her at the airport in Los Angeles. The spot
 concludes with the voiceover, "Life's good when you're Kristin Davis, but life's better
 when you're Kristin Davis and you have the cell phone with a walkie-talkie."

 A second spot opens with Eric McCormack in an L.A. restaurant. He recognizes
 someone in the back but panics when the guy waves him over. Muttering to himself,
 Eric tries to think of the guy's name. Eric waves and forces a fake smile. He turns to
the
 hostess for assistance but is ignored. The screen splits. On the top screen, Eric uses
 an ordinary cell phone to call his agent in New York. There's no response. In his
 frustration, he bumps into a waiter whose tray spills all over him in an embarrassing
 scene. On the bottom screen, Eric uses his Nextel Direct Connect walkie-talkie and
 instantly gets through to his agent. "Hey, what's the name of that producer we had a
 meeting with last week?" he asks frantically. Eric gets the name and smoothly joins the
 producer's party. "Life's good when you're Eric McCormack but life's better when you're
 Eric McCormack and you have the cell phone with a walkie-talkie," concludes the spot.

 One spot broke January 5 during NFL Football on CBS. Three additional spots break
 this weekend, also during NFL on CBS.

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