BellSouth Introduces Multi-Million Dollar Advertising Campaign Reinforcing its Local Presence.

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 3, 1997--With full-fledged local telephone competition drawing closer everyday, BellSouth is rolling out a new, multi-million dollar advertising campaign reinforcing its over 100-year-old tradition of customer service and involvement in the communities it serves.

Debuting on July 7, "Nobody Knows a Neighbor Like a Neighbor" will leverage BellSouth's core attributes of strong local market presence, its record of excellent customer service and its employee dedication.

"Change is the order of the day for a dynamic and expanding telecom industry," said Jere Drummond, BST president and CEO. "But BellSouth has a steadfast presence and we're determined to be better than any other company at serving our customers -- they will determine our future."

The dozen TV spots will highlight BellSouth's long tradition of providing exceptional service to customers - its neighbors. The lasting impression is one that says since BellSouth understands its customers better than anyone, it therefore is able to provide them with the capabilities, products and services they need better than anyone.

Produced by the company's advertising agency, Merkley Newman Harty, the new campaign will be launched with a 90-second commercial (a first for BellSouth) that will set the stage for the rest of the campaign. The spots will run during prime time in BellSouth's top 46 markets, and will appear on all major networks and cable TV.

All the commercials take place in the fictional town of Chatsford, which was created to feel very familiar to both employees and the customers they serve. This is a community like hundreds of others in the Southeast where BellSouth has provided dependable, reliable communications services for many years. The main character of the spots, Tyler Webb, is a composite of all BellSouth employees. Tyler serves as the viewer's guide to Chatsford, and either Tyler or his voice appears in every commercial.

"Being the neighbor brand is BellSouth's advantage in the Southeast," said Drummond. "Tyler Webb represents the neighbor that so many of our customers already know in BellSouth."

Each of the spots portrays characters from Chatsford in everyday situations that help showcase BellSouth's products and services, and demonstrate how Tyler, like all BellSouth employees, helps find solutions to his customers' communications needs.

In the first commercial, entitled "Classroom," the setting is easily identifiable to viewers and reinforces BellSouth's commitment to education. "Classroom" sets up Tyler as a presenter at Chatsford Elementary School's Career Day, and the interests of the children are evident as they continue to ask if Tyler "drives the truck." This is a common question to employees, since the truck is BellSouth's most external and recognizable symbol. The outcome of his interaction with the children is typical of the humorous situations found in the series of spots.

BellSouth's previous campaign ("It's All Here") implied that BellSouth has the capabilities that customers need. The evolution to "Nobody Knows a Neighbor Like a Neighbor" makes it clear that BellSouth understands what customers need because the company is in their communities and part of their daily lives.

"Even though technology has advanced, our tradition of service has not gone out of style," said Drummond. "Customers still want it delivered the old-fashioned way by a company they know - and that's BellSouth."

As evidence of its commitment to excellent customer service and its dedication to the communities it serves, the company points to the recent national awards it has won for customer service, including the J.D. Power award, and the fact that BellSouth employees and retirees volunteer annually, on average, over 12 million hours per year in their hometowns. In terms of dollars, that equates to about $160 million.

BellSouth is a $19 billion communications services company. It provides telecommunications, wireless communications, internet access, directory advertising and publishing and other information services to more than 27 million customers in 18 countries worldwide. Its telephone operations provide service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year over one of the most modern telecommunications networks in the world for approximately 22 million telephone lines in a nine-state region that includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

CONTACT: BellSouth

Gaye Walker, 404/927-7421