Terminix, Leading Yellow Pages Advertiser, Partners With Yellow Pages Association to Select Winners of 3rd Annual Collegiate Advertising Competition

University of Illinois at Chicago Marketing Student Wins Advertising Campaign Challenge

BERKELEY HEIGHTS, NJ -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 05/21/08 -- Continuing to bring Yellow Pages advertising into U.S. and Canadian college classrooms, the Yellow Pages Association(TM) (YPA(TM)) today announced the winners of its 3rd Annual Collegiate Advertising Competition in partnership with ServiceMaster, a home and business services company with nine national brands and one of the largest national Yellow Pages advertisers.

The Yellow Pages competition asked college students pursuing an education in advertising, marketing, graphic design or a related field to create a print and Internet Yellow Pages advertising campaign for Terminix, a part of the ServiceMaster Family of Brands and the largest termite and pest control company in the world. Terminix and ServiceMaster marketing executives judged the competition and awarded University of Illinois at Chicago student Steven Tran and faculty advisor David Koehler first place for their Terminix advertisement that communicated key company benefits and positioning. Tran is a senior pursuing a bachelor's degree in marketing.

"All of the entries we received were creative, original and clever," said Roy Beatty, vice president, ServiceMaster Yellow Pages Marketing Group. "We chose the ad that has great potential to break through the clutter without sacrificing the information contained in the body copy which is most important to consumers when they are making a purchase decision."

In a survey conducted after the competition, 80 percent of participating students said that Yellow Pages serve as an important and valuable medium.

Managed by Joel Davis, professor in the School of Journalism and Media Studies at San Diego State University, the competition stimulated more than 800 entries, which represented the work of nearly 2,100 students enrolled at 189 colleges and universities throughout North America.

"This challenge is a great way for students to bring their creative and artistic skills into the classroom, and at the same time, demonstrate the true value of what the Yellow Pages bring to businesses nationwide," said Neg Norton, president of YPA. "The advertising industry will be richer indeed as these students begin their professional careers."

Second place was awarded to Robert Morris University senior, Mitch Kramer, whose faculty advisor is Hyla Willis. The third place winner was George Fox University senior Emily Burford with faculty advisor David Kerr. Nearly $10,000 in prizes were awarded to winning students and their faculty sponsors.

For more information on the YPA Collegiate Program and to view the winning entries, visit http://www.ypa-academics.org, a specially designed Web site that offers material professors can easily integrate into courses on media and advertising issues.

About The Yellow Pages Association

The Yellow Pages Association (YPA) is the largest trade organization of a print and digital media industry valued at more than $31 billion worldwide. Association members include Yellow Pages publishers, certified marketing representatives (CMRs) and associate members, a group of industry stakeholders that include Yellow Pages advertisers, vendors and suppliers.

Media Contact: Katie Fassbinder Young & Associates 303-463-7705 katief@yapr.com

2008-05-21 12:45:05 0367902 MARKETWIRE