HOUSTON-- Administaff, Inc. (NYSE: ASF), the nation's leading Professional Employer Organization (PEO), has announced that it has entered into a three-year endorsement contract with golf legend and small business owner Arnold Palmer.
Palmer will serve as the company's national spokesperson beginning with
the release of two television commercials that will begin airing Oct. 4, 2004,
on such widely viewed networks as the FOX News Channel, CNN, CNBC, MSNBC and
The Golf Channel. These 15- and 30-second spots will appear in prime time
during high-profile shows, including "Lou Dobbs Tonight," "Larry King Live,"
"Wolf Blitzer Reports" and "Hannity & Colmes."
"We couldn't have aligned ourselves with a better spokesperson," said Paul
J. Sarvadi, chairman and chief executive officer of Administaff. "Arnold is a
widely recognized personality who shares many of the same values and beliefs
that are important to Administaff, including a strong entrepreneurial spirit."
The launch of the advertising campaign is planned to coincide with the
Administaff Small Business Classic(TM), a PGA Champions Tour event in which
Arnold Palmer will participate as one of an elite field of champion golfers.
The commercials, which highlight the similarities between playing golf and
operating a small business, help to demonstrate how Administaff provides
support and guidance for small businesses -- much like a caddie does for the
golfer. Palmer is positioned with his caddie in the background, symbolizing
the Administaff team behind the scenes and the client in the forefront
focusing on the core competencies of running a business.
"As a business owner myself, I can appreciate the HR-related challenges
that small businesses face, and I am proud to be representing a company that
champions small business and is a leader in its industry," said Palmer. "Just
like I say in the commercials, small business is good for America, and
Administaff is good for small business."
In addition to television commercials, Palmer will be featured in national
radio and print advertising. The campaign was created and developed by
Administaff's marketing department, and filming services were provided by VT2
Media Design & Communications, a Houston-based media production company
specializing in video and audio production, design and media communications.
"We're thrilled to have Arnold Palmer represent Administaff in our first
venture into the national television advertising arena," said Jay Mincks,
executive vice president of sales and marketing at Administaff. "His mass
appeal reaches across all generations, and he is a perfect fit for reaching
our target market."
About Arnold Palmer
Arnold Palmer is one of the best-known sportsmen and small business owners
in the world today. As a professional golfer, he has won 92 national and
international championships -- 61 of them on the U.S. Tour. His golf titles
include four Masters, two British Opens and the 1960 U.S. Open. He also has
represented the United States seven times in the Ryder Cup Matches as either a
player or captain. He was recognized for his achievements in an Associated
Press poll as the "Athlete of the Decade" for the 1960's.
During his illustrious career, Palmer has received virtually every national award in golf
as well as the Hickok Athlete of the Year and Sports Illustrated's Sportsman
of the Year in 1960. Palmer is president of Arnold Palmer Enterprises, a
multi-division structure encompassing much of his global commercial activity
that is centered in Cleveland. He has been involved in automobile and
aviation service firms over the years and still is the principal owner of
Arnold Palmer Motors (http://www.arnoldpalmermotors.com ), an automobile
dealership in his hometown of Latrobe, Penn. In addition, Palmer owns two
country clubs, Latrobe Country Club and Bay Hill Country Club
(http://www.bayhill.com ) as well as a golf course design business
(http://www.palmerdesign.com ).
About the Administaff Small Business Classic(TM)
The Administaff Small Business Classic, a PGA Champions Tour event, will
be held Oct. 4-10, 2004 at Augusta Pines Golf Club located in Houston, TX.
Proceeds from the event will benefit the George and Barbara Bush Endowment for
Innovative Cancer Research at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer
Center, The First Tee of Houston and Golfers Against Cancer. The Champions
Tour is one of the PGA TOUR's three professional golf tours (PGA TOUR,
Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour), and features the world's premier golfers
age 50 and older.
The Champions Tour will play 30 official Charles Schwab Cup
tournaments for nearly $53 million in 2004, generating significant sums of
money for charity. Since 1980, the Champions Tour and its tournaments have
contributed more than $100 million, and the three tours collectively have
generated more than $820 million since 1938, with 2003 contributions totaling
$82.8 million. For more information about the Administaff Small Business
Classic, please visit http://www.administaffclassic.com .
Administaff is a leading personnel management company that serves as a
full-service human resources department for small and medium-sized businesses
throughout the United States. The company operates 38 sales offices in 21
major markets. For additional information, visit Administaff's Web site at
http://www.administaff.com .
