800.COM Plans $25 Million Brand Campaign

Consumer electronics retailer 800.COM Inc.said it plans to launch a $25 million advertising campaign later this year and has selected the San Francisco office of Lowe and Partners/SMS as its first agency of record.

The national campaign will be aimed at building brand awareness for 800.COM and touting its service, selection and competitive pricing.

“We’re delighted to work with a firm that has experience with a broad range of premium brands like Heineken, Sun Microsystems, Eddie Bauer and Excite,” said Tim Zuckert, 800.COM’s vice president and chief marketing officer.

Lowe and Partners will handle all aspects of advertising for 800.COM, from account planning and creative direction to media planning and buying. The campaign will include consumer advertising, database marketing, promotions, and other outreach efforts.

“Our challenge is to produce work that propels 800.COM into a household brand name,” said Buz Sawyer, general manager of Lowe & Partners/SMS in San Francisco.

Founded in London in 1981, Lowe is ranked 13th among agency networks and has billings of $4.3 billion and offices in 40 countries.