- Gregory Solman

LOS ANGELES Independent Secret Weapon Marketing in Santa Monica, Calif., has been hired to launch Clearwire's WiMax high-speed wireless service and roll it out in the top 100 domestic markets over the next two years.

"We have engaged them on a project base to help us launch our WiMax markets," said Jeff Hall, director of marketing at the Kirkland, Wash.-based client.

He declined to project spending or identify the first markets that would be covered. Buying will continue to be handled by independent Applegate Media Group, New York. In its initial media foray in 2007, the client spent $5 million on ads, according to TNS Media Intelligence -- but that outlay is expected to rise substantially.

Though hardly a household name at present, Clearwire has garnered more than $3 billion in backing from firms like Google, Intel, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, BrightHouse Networks and Trilogy Equity Partners.

Leveraging Sprint Nextel's broadband infrastructure, Clearwire subscribers would be able to use the Internet service in their homes as well as at work and on the go, said Patrick Adams, agency managing director. "There will be home-speed advantage without the pokey 'away' speed of a 3G network, for example," he said.

The company's chairman is the so-called "Wizard of Wireless" Seattle telecom pioneer (and one-time owner of MCI) Craig O. McCaw.

Hall said the company would also continue to use Omnicom's DDB/LA, Venice, Calif., though he declined to elaborate.

Secret Weapon also works for Jack in the Box and the Southern California Honda Dealers Association. Founder and CCO Dick Sittig purposely limits the number of clients Secret Weapon handles to three at a time.