Baltimore lawyer puts a new spin on mobile advertising

By Danny Jacobs Dolan Media Newswires BALTIMORE, MD--When it comes to marketing, Steven H. Heisler can say he's literally gone the extra mile. A parking pad behind Heisler's eponymous downtown Baltimore office is the resting place of what has been dubbed "The Injury Lawmobile," an SUV covered in a giant advertisement for his law firm. "It's a mobile billboard," he said. Heisler is big on marketing. He takes clients he's represented to Atlantic City and has set up an office inside a Maryland pharmacy (with the independent pharmacist's permission). A few years ago, he was at a legal marketing conference in Florida when he saw a Volkswagen Beetle "wrapped" in an advertisement for a DWI lawyer. "I said, 'That's brilliant,'" Heisler recalled. About the same time, his wife was in the market for a new car, leaving Heisler with a 2000 Ford Expedition and an idea. He paid for the rights to some stock photos of injured patients and had the SUV wrapped. His name, website address, telephone number and slogan ("The Injury Lawyer") can be seen by drivers on all sides. Passengers in the backseat of the Lawmobile, however, can't see out their windows because of the wrapping. "I'm expecting there to be an accident in the future," he said with a laugh. The vehicle is on the road most days of the week and sometimes parks in city neighborhoods. Two lawyers in the firm that do not have cars use it as a regular mode of transportation -- one gained two clients while filling up at a gas station. "Some lawyers say it goes over the line," Heisler said, almost anticipating the question. "I say in this day and age, you've got to take advantage of every opportunity possible." Heisler has thought about driving the SUV around the Baltimore Beltway and main roads throughout the region. He's also planning to get vanity license plates that play off his "Injury Lawyer" moniker. "There are so many attorneys out there, you have to differentiate yourself," he said. Entire contents copyrighted © 2011 by Dolan Media Company. Published: Mon, Jun 27, 2011