The hot ticket these days is wireless service. Now BBDO has it. Well, they have Cingular Wireless. The new $300 million joint venture between SBC and BellSouth, Cingular has selected BBDO NY and BBDO South as its first advertising agency of record. “We’re excited about working with BBDO and anxious to get started on a campaign that will be national in scope, memorable in message, and unique in its creativity,” said Virginia Vann, Cingular’s Vice President of Marketing.

Cingular starts off with 19 million subscribers and coverage in areas reaching 190 million people. A major marketing effort will be launched next year when the various wireless properties of the two sides – SBC and BellSouth – converge. The campaign will brand the company with consumers, positioning Cingular as a sophisticated marketer of a hot product. “This is one of the most important account wins in our history and is the culmination of a total team effort involving both the New York and Atlanta offices of BBDO,” said Bill Katz, President and Co-CEO of BBDO New York. “We look forward to establishing Cingular as the leading wireless service in its category.”

BBDO Atlanta is pumping up internally. They’ve added: Becky Thames, Media Planning Supervisor, formerly with Cook Marketing Communications; Frank Hardy, Media Buyer, formerly with Initiative; Kristi Blank, Assistant Media Planner, formerly with Long Haymes Carr; Tanya Wisell, Assistant Media Buyer, formerly with Zenith Media; Montana Triplett, Assistant Media Buyer, formerly with Rubin Postaer & Assoc.; Todd Liscomb, Assistant Media Buyer, formerly with Blair TV; and Brooke Thompson, Assistant Account Executive.

You’ve probably heard by now that BBDO Worldwide has reeled in another regal account, landing the DaimlerChrysler account early in November. With a budget of around $250 million in spot media buys, BBDO South is crossing their fingers that some of that work will travel south. In the Atlanta Journal Constitution, President of BBDO Atlanta Chris Hall reported that the shop is likely to get some of the business, maybe all of it. With these two wins, BBDO is certainly gaining some heft. If BBDO South were to get the Chrysler business, the office’s billings would be more than doubled. Hall told the AJC that their office space in Buckhead is becoming too small for their growing family, prompting them to examine other spaces. With the Cingular win, they plan to add 70 to 80 more employees. It’s not determined yet how many more will be added if the Chrysler work moves south.