Thrifty Car Rental Kicks Off New Ad Campaign With 'Book Smart' Theme

TULSA, Okla., Sept. 1 -- Thrifty Car Rental, a subsidiary of Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, Inc. , kicks off a new multi- million dollar advertising campaign this week encouraging customers to "Book Smart" with Thrifty. Showcasing the disastrous (and often hilarious) events that happen to customers who don't plan their trips wisely, Thrifty capitalizes on its low-cost, high-value position to persuade travelers to use http://www.thrifty.com/ , the company's propriety web site, when planning.

The television commercials will begin airing Saturday, September 4 at Noon EDT, during College Football on the ABC Television Network (game to be determined). Additional placements are scheduled on the Weather Channel and as the exclusive car rental advertiser of Airline, the reality program featuring Southwest Airlines, on A&E.

As part of the new campaign, Thrifty is introducing new print advertising in USA Today and in Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel, AirTran Arrivals, and Southwest Spirit Magazine, as well as revamped online banner ads on Yahoo!, AOL, MSNBC, USAToday.com, AETV.com and Weather.com. New radio advertising is scheduled for spring 2005.

"Our 'Book Smart' message is a simple one," said Brian Carpenter, Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Advertising for Thrifty Car Rental. "If you're a savvy traveler interested in getting a great car rental value for your travel dollar, Thrifty Car Rental is the place for you. We would encourage smart shoppers to visit THRIFTY.com, as it is the home of the best online Thrifty Car Rental rates."

In one episode, a sports fan on a plane tries to squeeze an ice chest into an overhead bin, soaking an unlucky business traveler. "This is not what smart travelers do," cautions the announcer. "But this is." Displaying the THRIFTY.com website, he continues, "Go to THRIFTY.com. Compare our cars, compare our rates. We're not scared, because we put our lowest rates out there every day. THRIFTY.com -- book smart."

   Other humorous segments feature:
   --  An obnoxious guitar-player in coach who offends a business traveler
       trying to sleep;
   --  A vacation-bound family that blows out the tires on the family
       roadster when they load it up Beverly Hillbillies-style;
   --  A young woman inadvertently assaulting her fellow passengers with an
       oversized backpack as she tries to make it down the narrow aisle of
       an airplane; and
   --  A football fanatic who sets off the alarm at airport security when he
       tries to pass through the metal detector with chrome shoulder pads
       and other outrageous attire.

In conjunction with the College Football schedule on ABC, Thrifty will cruise the streets of 20 cities where games are being played with mobile billboard signs showcasing THRIFTY.com and the new "Book Smart" message. Miniature footballs emblazoned with THRIFTY.com and "Book Smart" will be tossed to fans near participating stadiums in venue cities.

To view the new Thrifty Car Rental commercials, visit http://ads.thrifty.com/ .

The new advertising campaign was created by Bernstein-Rein Advertising of Kansas City, Thrifty Car Rental's agency of record for six years. With annual billings of more than $450 million, Bernstein-Rein is one of the ten largest independent advertising agencies in the U.S. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, they represent clients that include Bayer Animal Health, Busch Entertainment, McDonald's and Wal-Mart. Bernstein-Rein has been in business for more than 40 years.

Thrifty Car Rental is a subsidiary of Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, Inc., a Fortune 1000 Company headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Together with its corporately-owned locations and those of its franchise owners, the Thrifty Car Rental brand serves value-conscious travelers from more than 1,100 locations in 64 countries.