Rush Communications announces launch of Rush Media advertising agency with Grammy-aired Coca-Cola spot.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 21, 1996--Russell Simmons, founder and CEO of Rush Communications, officially announced today the formation of Rush Media, a boutique advertising agency focusing on the urban marketplace.

Agency co-founder and president, Anne Simmons, who is unrelated to Russell Simmons, is responsible for new business development, market analysis and strategy and creative execution, while Mr. Simmons oversees the creative process and music execution.

The company's first effort, a progressive 30-second commercial for The Coca-Cola Company, premiered on the 1996 Grammy Awards Telecast. The Coke spot is an innovative salute to Grammy honorees Marvin Gaye, recipient of the 1996 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and to Method Man and Mary J. Blige, winners for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or group for their remake of the Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell song "You're All I Need to Get By."

"Rush Media's mandate is to give its clients creative advertising from a new perspective," says Mr. Simmons. "Coke has always been about being `The Real Thing', so combining a music icon like Marvin Gaye with the `I'll keep it real for you' message in Method Man's rap resulted in an original spot which captures Coke's classic spirit while reaching our target urban audience."

"We founded the agency because we perceived a large gap in how products are targeted to the urban audience," said Anne Simmons. "We specifically set out to capitalize on Russell's success in the music, television, film and fashion businesses, and to create a special synergy between this success and the creative advertising process. Our mission is to serve our clients by developing a business that sells and markets its products to everyone. As an African-American business, we also recognize the unique social responsibility that an advertiser bears, because the public bases their perceptions of a company and its products on the advertising that they see."

Russell Simmons, 38, has built Rush Communications into one of the nation's largest African-American owned companies in the music and entertainment industries. Rush Communications is the parent company for all of Mr. Simmons' businesses, including The Def Jam Music Group, Def Pictures, RSTV, Phat Fashions, SLBG, and Rush Artist and Producers Management. Best known as the man who took the Hip-Hop culture mainstream, Mr. Simmons has been called "The Hip-Hop mogul" by The Wall Street Journal.

Ms. Simmons has held the position of Director of New Business Development for Rush Communications for the past two years, and she will continue to hold this position in addition to her responsibilities at Rush Media. A graduate of Wellesley College, Ms. Simmons completed the Paine Webber investment banking analyst program, as well as Macy's executive training program, where she received the Clairol Distinguished Aspirant Award for Retailing. She and Mr. Simmons were first associated while Ms. Simmons was developing the marketing and sales strategy for the acclaimed children's book "Miss Spider's Tea Party."

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