TMS - THE ERICSSON OPEN


March 22, 2001


Serena Williams
Venus Williams

THE ERICSSON OPEN, MIAMI, FLORIDA


THE MODERATOR: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for standing by.
Welcome to the Williams sisters announcement conference call. I will turn it
over to Senior Vice President of Edelman Public Relations Worldwide, Mr. Erin
Patton.

ERIN PATTON: Good morning, everyone. I'd like to thank you for joining us on
the call today. We have some very exciting news to share from two very
household names - the talented tennis pros, Venus and Serena Williams, and
Wrigley's Doublemint Gum. Joining us today are Rory Finlay, Senior Director
of Consumer Marketing, and quite a handsome fellow I might add, and Venus and
Serena Williams, winners of all four Grand Slams in the doubles category. I
had the pleasure of watching them practice today and I can tell you they are
quite ready to compete here at the Ericsson Open in Miami, Florida, which is
where we are calling you from. This weekend the sisters will again
demonstrate what truly distinguishes them from the tennis competition. At
this point I will turn it over to Rory to talk a little bit about a
partnership that will demonstrate the unique and distinctive nature of the
Williams sisters off the court.

RORY FINLAY: Thank you very much, Erin. Thank you to everyone who's joined us
on this call. We're truly, truly ecstatic to be here today to be talking
about our partnership with Venus and Serena Williams and our Doublemint Gum
brand. This is truly a big day for our company, because this is the first
time in the history of this brand, 87-year-old brand Doublemint, that we have
partnered with professional athletes. It's really a thrilling thing for us to
make such a great association with these two ladies who are also history in
the making. Venus and Serena bring such a bold and fresh style of their own,
and their personality is quite amazing. I can attest to that with you here
today. They are really distinctively different and really an outstanding fit
for our brand, Doublemint. A "Distinctively Doublemint" campaign we will be
airing later this summer. As you know, leaders of the pack of which the
Wrigley Company is and Venus and Serena who are leaders in their field,
always find a way to come together. So we're looking forward to many great
things that will come in the future. We're very excited about the launch of
our "Distinctively Doublemint" advertising campaign that will come later this
year with Venus and Serena. So I'd just like to turn it over to Venus and
Serena to make a few comments.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Thank you. It's a pleasure to be here. Good morning to
everyone. Serena and I are really very happy to be part of the team,
especially be representing the Doublemint brand because really it represents
Serena and I as far as our togetherness and as far as how we are with each
other, how much fun we have in our relationship with each other. I think the
Doublemint brand with Wrigley's has really given us an opportunity to show
that and to show our fun side and to show really some of our characteristics
off the court. The past year was really exciting for us and really we're just
happy and really excited to announce our partnership with such a respected
company as Wrigley's. Really, I guess I'll just pass it on to Serena now.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yes, also I would like to greet everyone good morning, and I
would like to say thank you for joining us. But, yeah, I agree with Venus. We
definitely have our distinctive style in singles. We're different, we play
different from everyone else. In doubles, when you see us in doubles, it's so
easy to see that we have this connection, this distinctively different
connection. We strive to stay true to ourselves and don't follow the fads.
We're definitely trend-setters for sure. We always do things first. That's
why this is going to make such a great team and we're really excited to be a
part of this. So Venus and our family, this is just something that's very
exciting for us all. And just like the Doublemint brand has done for years
with the same taste, style and look, we grew up -- when we were young, we
grew up chewing it, so we're definitely looking forward to a wonderful
partnership with Wrigley's which should last a long time. We're going to have
a lot of fun with it.

ERIN PATTON: All right. Well, at this point we'll open it up to questions and
answers. I'll ask from the outset that we keep the questioning brief and on
topic. Our focus today is to discuss this partnership between the Doublemint
Gum brand of Wrigley's and the Williams sisters. There will be an opportunity
to talk to the sisters about tennis-related questions at some point here in
Miami during what we hope will be an eleven-day stay all the way through the
finals. So with that we'll open it up for some Q and A right now.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Hi, this question is for whoever can answer it best. I'm curious about how
long the partnership is for and what is the financial arrangements for the
partnership?

RORY FINLAY: The partnership with Venus and Serena is a multiyear partnership
and it's a great opportunity for both of us. We're looking forward to it.

Q. Is that safe to assume you're not disclosing the financial agreement?

RORY FINLAY: Yep. (Laughter.)

Q. Venus, I'm sure the Wrigley people are hoping you'll be able to play in
the tournament this weekend. How is your knee? Do you expect to be able to
play?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I'm looking to do my best in everything that I do, and
really I'm happy to be part of the Wrigley team and really I'd like to do my
best especially since this announcement is so exciting and popular for us
right now to really be able to compete this week.

Q. I'm sorry. You were breaking up on me a little bit. You said you are going
to be able to compete, you're hoping to compete?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I said with all the excitement that has gone on this morning,
I'm looking forward to competing this week.

Q. This question is for the two sisters. Do you as competitors fear playing
each other? How difficult is it for you to play each other?

ERIN PATTON: Sir, we'd like to keep the questions focused to this particular
announcement today. Next call.

Q. This is for both of the sisters. I know you would prefer to talk about
other things. But considering all of the controversy of recent days, if you
just have any message for your fans that we could relay for you regarding
that controversy.

ERIN PATTON: Next question, please.

Q. Hi, this is Tracy from Hot-105. We love you guys.

SERENA WILLIAMS: We love you. We listen to you all the time.

VENUS WILLIAMS: We listen to you all the time. We live down here.

Q. I know you all are going to the Art Institute. I'm just wondering if
you're going to design something fabulous and green, because Wrigley's is in
that green color. Are you going to be wearing fabulous green for the
commercial?

VENUS WILLIAMS: You know, green has become my new favorite color. It was blue
for quite a few years, but I just --.

Q. You like pink, too?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I love pink. I think it fits my complexion. But some
wonderful green evening gowns with some sheer silk would be fun.

SERENA WILLIAMS: That's a really good idea.

VENUS WILLIAMS: That is a really good idea. We didn't think of that. Thanks,
Tracy.

Q. That would be really cool to see some nice green. What are you looking
forward to most about doing this thing with Wrigley? I think it's cool.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yes.

VENUS WILLIAMS: We think it's cool. We really believe in the brand. We don't
attach ourselves to anything we don't believe in, that we aren't confident
in. We're confident of the brand of Wrigley's. We believe it represents
Serena and I because we do everything together. Doublemint Gum - Williams
sisters: Perfect.

Q. I know you talked a little bit about your series when you play doubles,
how one's the dependent player, the other can be the independent player. Do
you have anything like that with respect to what you might do with Doublemint
and a double venture? I just thought, "I'd wish they'd really expound on
that."

VENUS WILLIAMS: Definitely so. Definitely. This is not an independent
partnership. This is a dependent partnership. Doublemint and the Williams
will not stray from each other. We're all going to be chewing together.

Q. Is there anything you guys want Hot-105 listeners to know?

SERENA WILLIAMS: We listen to Hot-105.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Chew Doublemint. Buy Wrigley's. Be like us.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Chew Wrigley's.

Q. I'm just wondering when you're going to be doing some of your first
commercials?

RORY FINLAY: The first commercials that you'll see Venus and Serena featured
in for Doublemint will be coming to a television near you this summer.

Q. So when will they be taping them?

RORY FINLAY: They'll be taped really between now and then. (Laughter.)

ERIN PATTON: Is that it?

Q. I'm just wondering how long this deal has been in negotiation and how it
came about. I assume the Wrigley people initiated this?

RORY FINLAY: Actually, it was quite interesting. I think the light bulb went
off with both Venus and Serena and the Wrigley Company about the same time,
and we've been talking and working together for almost a year now. For us at
Wrigley, when we looked at the brand Doublemint and just how unique it is and
how distinctive, then we looked at Venus and Serena and we saw those same
core attributes and equities, it just seemed like a match made in heaven, so
we're very excited to be here today.

ERIN PATTON: Before we take the next question, let me ask if Amy from the
Washington Post is still on the line. Venus definitely has something that
she'd like to communicate for the fans. I don't know if we quite answered
that question. If Amy is still there, speak up.

Q. I am here. Please go ahead.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Really I just want to say to all my fans, everyone watching,
really just not to believe everything that you read. And Serena and I, we're
really great competitors. We're fierce competitors. We really have no fear of
playing each other. We've done it on five occasions already including two
Grand Slams, and we really are just both looking forward to playing this
week. Hopefully we'll meet each other at the end and we're just asking
everyone to come out and watch us play and to bring their Doublemint along.

Q. I'd like to wish you all good luck on your upcoming tournament this
weekend. I have a two-part question. The first is for the Wrigley Company
representative. Does this change the advertising scheme for Doublemint? Are
you all abandoning the long-standing Doublemint twins ad campaign?

RORY FINLAY: Doublemint is all about doubles. We have used, as everyone
knows, we've used twins for quite some time now to communicate that, that
uniqueness of the brand. With Venus and Serena, they're two-of-a-kind.
They're wonderful sisters, and so we will be continuing that element of our
communication but really now in much more exciting and relevant ways. So
we've talked to our consumers in some really great language.

Q. Also I wanted to know which ad agency will be developing the ad for Venus
and Serena?

RORY FINLAY: B Video Chicago, a fine organization in Chicago.

Q. Just wanted to wish you success on your new venture, and I have this
question: How many commercials are we talking about in this multiyear
partnership?

RORY FINLAY: We'll be doing several different pieces of communication, mixing
it up between different elements whether it's television, whether it's print.
So you'll see a nice mix of advertising and marketing components.

Q. Again, I want to say congratulations for the incredible new deal. The
question that I have for you is the Doublemint twins have always really
signified wholesome, American girlhood. How do you two ladies feel about
being a part of what that image means?

VENUS WILLIAMS: We don't feel we're changing the image. We just feel we're
adding to it. Even though we aren't twins, sometimes people mistake us for
twins (Laughing).

SERENA WILLIAMS: A lot of times.

VENUS WILLIAMS: We feel like we're adding to the image, and we're happy to be
a part of the campaign really just to be adding something, and we feel very
fortunate that they've chosen us and we've chosen them and that we're
partners together now.

Q. I wish you success on your Masters Series this weekend. My question is
actually to the Wrigley director. I was wondering who actually are you
targeting with this ad? Will it be a multicultural campaign, women,
African-Americans?

RORY FINLAY: This will be a multicultural campaign. We're targeting what we
call urban individualists. These are people who really want to do things
differently and they want to stand apart from the crowd and be true to
themselves. They really take pride in being individuals with multifaceted
interests. So, if you combine that target with the brand Doublemint that is
so distinct, and also the African-American target will be a key target for us
with this brand. So when we bring all that together, we think we have an
outstanding mix here.

Q. (Inaudible). I was wondering, is it a concern with you as sponsorship when
you're trying to promote products such as Doublemint?

RORY FINLAY: We really are focusing on the relationship we have with Venus
and Serena. We've been working with them for some time now and it's been a
great experience for all of us. So we're really looking to maximize that
partnership with everything we do for Doublemint.

Q. I first want to say thank you, Venus, for answering my question. I
appreciate that. I was wondering, Serena, if you, too, also have a message
for fans.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yes, I definitely support Venus in what she says. You really
honestly can't believe everything you read because you just learn that, you
know, when you're growing, you can't believe everything you read. Like Venus
said, we're great competitors. We love to compete. We do the best we can all
the time and that's all it is. We're just out here just playing tennis and
now we're chewing Doublemint Gum. So that's about it really.

Q. I represent a large African-American community in Northern New Jersey.
Every year we've had an A&P Classic in Mahwah, New Jersey. Have the Williams
sisters ever considered playing in that tournament prior to the US Open?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I'm actually aware of that tournament. I believe it's an
exhibition. So who knows? Maybe one day our travels will take us there. We'll
see.

Q. Good morning, Venus and Serena. I was wondering, do you expect maybe to
contribute to a higher profile of doubles tennis with this ad campaign?

VENUS WILLIAMS: We play as much doubles as we can. We've won all the four
doubles Grand Slams plus the Olympics. That's been, like, one of our best
goals in our life. We won the Australian Open this year, and we want to make
the doubles Grand Slam. So we'll be competing in the rest of the Slams. So I
don't know, maybe this could contribute.

Q. Doublemint has always been your favorite flavor? Spearmint tastes good,
too.

VENUS WILLIAMS: You know, it does compete hard. But...

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, but...

VENUS WILLIAMS: We use Doublemint. We've used many of the other Wrigley's
brands also.

Q. I have two questions. One is a question for Mr. Finlay and the other for
the sisters. What motivated you to pick the sisters from the other top tennis
players around?

RORY FINLAY: It was very easy to come to Venus and Serena when you look at
how distinctive and unique and the style they bring to everything they do.
That's something that's true to our Doublemint brand. So it wasn't a very
hard decision for us to say, "Venus and Serena, come and join our team."

Q. And the sisters, congratulations on all of your achievements over the
years. I want to ask you if you guys are looking forward to playing each
other in the tournament?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, we're definitely looking forward to competing in the
tournament, doing the best we can. Venus and I tend to do well here, so we
should have a good time. We're just looking forward to it.

Q. Mr. Finlay, I just wanted to get your title again actually. I missed it.

RORY FINLAY: I'll spell my name as well. Rory, R-o-r-y. Finlay, F-i-n-l-a-y.
And my title is Senior Director Consumer Marketing.

Q. This is for Venus. We have the Pilot Pen tournament here in Connecticut.
Are you planning to come back and defend your title?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm going to do my best. I've won there two years in a row. I
guess three would be a hat trick. It could happen.

Q. Are you planning to come?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I'm going to do my best. Last year was very difficult
for me playing three weeks in a row on the hardcourts then the Olympics. This
year there won't be the Olympics so I think it's a really good chance.
Hopefully I'll be healthy and happy.

Q. With this controversy flowing around, how have you guys been able to
remain focused on your tennis and ad campaigns?

VENUS WILLIAMS: It hasn't been hard because we don't read what you all write.

Q. Tell me more about the community work that you're involved in. I
understand that you're trying to build tennis courts throughout the country.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yes, we have the Venus and Serena Tennis Academy. It's
actually in California. I was there not too long ago, about two weeks ago, to
visit and see how it's doing. It helps kids come after school and have
something to do so it keeps them out of the streets and helps them be able to
do well in that aspect. So we're working toward that.

Q. I know you didn't release the actual financial statements, but I was just
wondering if this deal would put you, both sisters, in the top of tennis
athletes in terms of endorsements and whatnot.

ERIN PATTON: Next question, please. I think we've touched on that enough.

Q. Mr. Finlay, I was wondering if with the big buzz around Venus and Serena
taking on endorsements for one of your brand names if you all had in the
works any other up-and-coming athletes or already established athletes at the
top of their game to do endorsements for other Wrigley brands.

RORY FINLAY: The answer is no. Actually, this is the first time we have ever
joined forces with athletes such as Venus and Serena, and we're looking
forward to this relationship going forward. But we don't have any plans to do
anything else.

THE MODERATOR: Mr. Patton, please proceed.

ERIN PATTON: Okay. Well, we would like to thank everyone for joining us. This
is a very, very exciting day for the William Wrigley Junior Company, as well
as the evolving careers of these two fabulous young women. We want to thank
you.