Qorvis Wins the Virginia Lottery Account

March 19, 2007 | 10:43 am

MCLEAN, Va., March 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Qorvis Communications, a leading strategic communications firm with integrated advertising, public relations and interactive capabilities, announced today that it has been chosen to be the agency of record for the Virginia Lottery. The win, worth nearly $20 million in total billings annually, represents one of the largest and most coveted advertising accounts in the region.

"Qorvis is very excited to represent the Virginia Lottery. While increasing ticket sales is clearly important, we also want to raise awareness that more than $3 billion from those ticket sales have gone to our schools," said Qorvis Founding Partner Doug Poretz. "Bill Replogleled our team of all- stars that included our own advertising, public relations and interactive talents, as well as external partners MVPGROUP, +SmithGifford Creative, Spurrier Media Group, eBrains, Elevacion and Divercity Advertising."

The Qorvis win follows a rigorous search by the Virginia Lottery, which reviewed many of the region's top advertising agencies during a six-month, multi-round selection process.

"We saw a lot of good creative thinking by the shops competing for our business, but Qorvis prevailed because of their innovative approach and seamlessly integrated advertising, public relations and online efforts," said Sheila Hill-Christian, Executive Director of the Virginia Lottery. "Their strength in Northern Virginia, an important market for us, also played in their favor."

The account comes only months after Qorvis enhanced its advertising capabilities through the acquisition of the award-winning ad agency Sparky's Garage in October 2006.

"When we joined Qorvis last fall, it was with an eye toward playing on a bigger field with a championship team," said Qorvis Managing Director Bill Replogle. "Looks like we got our wish. This account is an agency's dream -- TV, radio, print, POP, interactive, public relations -- and a client looking for work with a sense of humor."

Replogle is known for his innovative thinking for clients such as Dunkin' Donuts, GlaxoSmithKline, Softspikes and Harley-Davidson. After a stint at Arnoldin Boston, he co-founded Rainmaker, one of the region's fastest growing shops in the mid-to-late 90s. Replogle also went on to start Admine.com, one of the Internet darlings of 1999. His firm Sparky's Garage is the latest Qorvis strategic acquisition.

In recent years, Qorvis has acquired grassroots, interactive and research capabilities, integrating them fully into a winning approach to communications. The accompanying talent and resources have contributed to making Qorvis the fastest growing independent public relations firm in the nation, and a finalist in PRWeek's 2007 Agency of the Year.

The Virginia Lottery is an independent agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia and one of the top-performing lotteries in the United States. The three-year contract begins in April 2007 and runs through March 2010. The mission of the organization is to raise funds for Virginia's K-12 public schools. Since fiscal year 2001, the Lottery has surpassed the $1 billion mark in sales with profits to schools ranging from $329 million to $454 million annually.

"In the end, it's all about the kids," said Poretz. "When you play, they win."

This is also a big advertising win for Qorvis, whose team has recently been working on campaigns for the Consumer Electronics Association, DynCorp International, and Lowes Island Club. And while the campaign being developed for the Virginia Lottery is currently under wraps, one thing is certain: It won't be just another traditional advertising effort. The agency is committed to developing an integrated communications campaign that will put their new client at the forefront of the innovative marketing curve.

About Qorvis

Qorvis Communications is one of the nation's largest independent communications firms. Formed in August 2000, Qorvis has offices in Washington, DC, and McLean, VA, and provides its clients with expertise in the areas of advertising, public and media relations, marketing communications, Internet campaigns, investor and financial relations, public affairs, grassroots and research and opinion surveys. For more information, visit http://www.qorvis.com. For Qorvis news, visit http://www.qorvisnews.com.