ACC TelEnterprises is launching its first major consumer advertising campaign later this month to establish itself as a national player in the long-distance market.

Shelley Dubros, acc director of communications, says it was now time for the company to make the public aware of the long-distance industry’s ‘best-kept secret.’

The secret is the company’s easy savings plan, 40% off all long-distance calls in Canada ‘on top of the big guy’s best deal’ and 20% off international calls.

‘It’s As Easy As ACC’ is the theme of the radio and newspaper campaign getting under way Jan. 29 and scheduled to run throughout the rest of the year.

Thirty- and 60-second commercials will be heard during morning drive time on a wide range of Toronto radio stations.

The newspaper portion is national and includes The Globe and Mail and buys in dailies in major markets across the country.

All advertising contains an 800 number to call for more information.

Isis Communications of Oakville, Ont. is the agency behind the advertising, with Joan McArthur handling creative for the radio portion of campaign.

McArthur recently left Due North Communications to concentrate on radio creative and production with her own company, J.H. McArthur Advertising.

She was tapped for the acc campaign because Dubros has long been a big fan of the humorous Goodyear radio commercials created by McArthur while at Due North.

Says Dubros: ‘I’m not as concerned with the message as with creating an awareness for acc.

‘I don’t think anyone driving to work in the morning is going to pull over to the side of the road and say, ‘Oh my, I need a new long-distance provider,’ ‘ she says.

‘I just want consumers to first remember acc, and then to remember acc warmly. I believe that can be accomplished by using a little subtle humor.’

In addition to humor, Dubros says the campaign will break through the long-distance clutter by driving home one salient point, ‘Find out how it’s as easy as acc to save up to 40% on all your calls, on top of the big guy’s best price.’

The casting of the radio spots contributes to the humor of the work with u.s. radio talent Dick Orkin as the main character and u.s. actor Jerry Houser dealing with announcer duties.

Production was handled by Lonesome Pine Studios, Toronto.

Although acc has been operating in Canada since 1984, the company has stayed out of the competitive residential market until now.

Dubros says in July 1994 when other alternative long-distance providers began targeting the consumer market, acc decided it could not afford to wage the kind of marketing campaign needed to fight the big guys.

Instead, acc developed affinity programs for educational institutions and non-profit organizations while continuing to focus on its business long-distance customers.

The acc affinity programs are designed to have a certain percentage of total revenues from each member group of residential users such as a university’s staff, students and alumni, returned to the institution or organization.

In 1995, acc contributed more than $2.2 million to support activities in the Canadian education sector.

Its affinity business has continued to grow and agents have set up programs for other groups such as The Bay and Home Service Club.

acc is also a sponsor of Live Entertainment’s production of Sunset Boulevard in Toronto.

To tie in with the event, the company launched a fixed-rate calling program called Sunset Savings Program.

Those signing are charged a flat rate of 20 cents a minute for calls made in Canada or the u.s. between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m.

The plan has been promoted since November with ads in the musical’s playbill, direct mail and in The Globe and Mail’s entertainment section.