Posters from Wild Things advertising campaign to benefit pediatric AIDS research

The gentle giants of Bell Atlantic's "Wild Things" advertising campaign have taken the Maine-to-Virginia region by storm. After the campaign was launched in October, hundreds of customers asked Bell Atlantic where they could get posters of these beloved creatures for their children, for themselves, for their classrooms -- you name it.

Now Bell Atlantic is making posters of the "Wild Things" available with the proceeds going to a very worthy cause. Customers can order a "bus shelter" size poster of the lovable monsters for just $15, plus postage and handling. The 24-inch by 36-inch posters are in color and feature one of the giants along with the campaign's tag line -- "Wild Things are Happening." The best part of the deal is that proceeds from the sale of the posters go to national Pediatric AIDS research.

The new campaign features the timeless and colorful characters of Maurice Sendak's classic, award-winning children's book "Where the Wild Things Are" in their first appearance in mass media advertising.

"Where the Wild Things Are" was first published in 1963 and has won numerous awards including the 1964 Caldecott Medal for Most Distinguished Picture Book of the Year. The use of Maurice Sendak's characters by Bell Atlantic marks the first time the wild things have been used in broadscale mass-media advertising, including television.

The new Bell Atlantic (NYSE: BEL) is at the forefront of the new communications, information and entertainment industry. With 40 million telephone access lines and 5.8 million wireless customers worldwide, the corporation is the premier provider of advanced wireline voice and data service in the eastern United States and a market leader in wireless services. Bell Atlantic is one of the world's largest investors in high-growth global communications markets, with operations and investments in 21 countries.