Big Green entrepreneurs cash in on ivy image

Blue eyes, chiseled features in a suntanned face, dark blonde hair falling casually across his forehead so goes the face of Michael Ives, Yale '80, Mr. March and cover model of the 1985 "Great Looks: Men of the Ivy League" calendar. All eight of the Ivy League colleges are represented in the calendar, which includes Dartmouth graduates Charlie Winslow '82 and Joey Gallinghouse '83. The calendar itself is the brainchild of two Dartmouth alumni, S. Tien Wong '84 and David Ellis '83.

Wong recently joined Ellis's company, David Publishing, as marketing manager. The "flagship publication" for the young company is the Men of the Ivy League calendar. But the relationship began in the spring of 1982 when they joined forces to sell customized painters caps to colleges all over the East Coast, netting some $10,000 per year. In the fall of 1982 the two cofounded the Dartmouth Entrepreneurs club, the purpose of which is "to promote entrepreneurial education and opportunities."

The 1983-84 calendar was born in a Streeter Hall dormitory room in October of 1983. Entrepreneurs Wong, Ellis, Chris Hessler '85, and Elizabeth Babb '86 shared in its conception, production, and marketing. They sold some 6,500 copies and received a good deal of publicity, including mention in Forbes Magazine and The Washington Post.

The calendar is now a full-time project for Wong and Ellis, who work out of an office in Jersey City, N.J. Both the product and the sales technique are considerably more polished this year. Some 150 commissioned sales representatives, up from 45, sell the calendar throughout the country. Orders have come in from all 50 states, the U.S. territory of Guam, Japan, Canada, and Taiwan. Who buys it? "High school and college girls," said Ellis. "Mothers buy it for their teenage daughters."

The promotional campaign, once limited primarily to road trips from Dartmouth, has been stepped up, too. "Going around to different colleges was small time," said Wong. Now the team is approaching drugstore chains and wholesalers, "where the orders can be 10,000 a pop," said Wong. "The priority is not publicity now," said Wong. "An incredible boost in sales is." As of late September, some 25,000 copies of the calendar, which retails for $7.95, have been ordered, and sales of the calendar are projected to reach 50,000.

The second edition of the calendar is different from the first in several ways. This time around the photographs were taken by a New York professional. Eleven of the 12 Ivy League graduates are professional models, while none of last year's models were. "We wanted to increase the market appeal," explained Ellis. "Last year we appealed to people in the Ivy League; now we also want to reach girls in lowa and California."

And just what is a "Man of the Ivy League"? "We try to project a 'classy' image," said Wong. "Clean-cut but not all-American. It's a certain look in their eyes, the way that they're dressed." An Ivy League man, said Ellis, "conjures up an image of someone who is successful, bright, and has good taste."

They both have advice to share with budding entreprenuers, based on what they have learned. "You must have the ability to focus your energy," said Wong. "You have to have drive and target your areas." "Be excited and persist," stressed Ellis. "There are a lot of people who will discourage you; it can get you down. You have to stay psyched."

At present the two have little time to contemplate future projects. But the combination of their talent and energy is a force to reckon with. "We complement each other," said Wong. "David is a little pessimistic and I'm optimistic it makes a nice synthesis."

Dartmouth graduates S. Tien Wong '84, left, and David Ellis '83, right, are producing the second edition of the Men of the Ivy League Calendar from the New jersey headquarters of their company, David Publishing.