The Greatest Innovation In Advertising Since The Invention of the Martini

Back in the '50s, you could always find Madison Avenue admen lined up three deep at the corner bar at 6 o'clock. Today they're far more likely to be lined up at a Federal Express drop-off station, frantically waving their arms like commodity brokers on a losing streak and screaming that they'll lose the account if their package isn't delivered on time.

Now Irvine-based Overnite Express is sending ad folks back to the bars where they belong. They're also showing incredible guts by opening their first retail drop-off station right next to the FedEx retail drop-off station right next to the FedEx drop-off station on Main Street in Irvine.

The only limitation these guys seem to have is that they only deliver in Southern California (Overnite Express now delivers to all destintions in California). On the other hand, they accept dropoffs until 11:00 p.m., while FedEx cut-off is 7 p.m.

Rob Ukropina, founder of Overnite Express, claims to have another edge, as well: "If you give them (FedEx) an incorrect address, they can't guarantee next morning delivery. We can. We go to any lengths to get your package where it's going.

During a recent crisis at L.A.-based ad agency Davis Ball Colombatto, Overnite Express was able to save the day by delivering Pogs to 412 different McDonald's locations overnight. And they claim they did it for less than FedEx would have charged.

How is this possible? "It's pretty simple," Ukropina says. "They own airplanes. We own vans. Their overhead is a little higher than ours."

By Jim deYong December 4, 1995