Hoveround Picks Mercury Media

Wheelchair maker Hoveround has selected Marlboro, Mass.-based direct response specialist Mercury Media after a review.

The incumbent on the business was IMS Advertising. Other contenders were not disclosed.

The client spent $22 million on ads from January through November of last year, according to Nielsen, most of it on DRTV ads. That figure is up sharply from the $13 million it spent in all of 2008.

Hoveround, whose products are sold exclusively direct to consumer, will launch a new campaign shortly, primarily on national TV.

“Combining their DR buying power, their senior category expertise and a track record of success delivering on ROI, Mercury Media has exactly what Hoveround needs to help us grow our market share with cost-efficient lead volume,” said Jeff Hilton, the client’s director of marketing. “DRTV will continue to be at the foundation of our media mix and we have selected the right firm to help us manage it.”

“Healthcare and Medicare reform, a generation of boomers aging into the senior market and the demand for better quality products have created a tremendous opportunity for Hoveround,” said Beth Vendice, president of Mercury Media.

The Sarasota, Fla.-based client said that Mercury would work in cooperation with Hoveround’s digital marketing agency, iMarketing.

Other Mercury clients include Neutrogena, the IHOP restaurant chain and LifeLock.