Budget Rent a Car To Seek New Ad Agency

Budget Rent a Car Corp., based in Lisle, IL, a subsidiary of Budget Group Inc., said it plans to seek a new advertising agency for what is expected to be a $35 million account.

The company said it will conduct a search in the Chicago area where the company is headquartered.

Hill, Holliday was awarded the $22 million account in January of 1997. Working with Hill, Holliday, Budget successfully launched its “Get out of the Ordinary” brand campaign last fall which has helped contribute to the company’s first marketshare gain in over five years.

“Since Budget Rent a Car Corp. was acquired by Budget Group Inc. in April 1997, the company’s management has changed and there have been a number of acquisitions with rapid expansion,” said Mark Sotir, senior vice president, marketing. “While Hill, Holliday has done an excellent job for Budget Car and Truck Rental, new owners inherited the relationship and would like to look for a local agency that has the capacity to serve other Budget Group Inc. companies as we continue to expand and make other acquisitions. In addition, we believe that having an agency and its creative team right here near our headquarters will allow more of our marketing team members to participate regularly in creative strategy development sessions.”

Budget said it has targeted a number of agencies in Chicago for its search to handle its advertising account with a budget that is expected to approximate $35 million. The company hopes to have a new agency on board by July to handle creative execution, media placement and Internet marketing.

The Budget system has more than 3,200 airport and local market locations in over 120 countries and territories. Budget has nearly 1,000 corporate-owned and franchised locations in the United States.