During the Spring and Summer of 2007, the Payday Lending (short-term loan) industry came under the close scrutiny of the District of Columbia City Council. In an effort to activate and engage public support for Payday Loans, Texas-based ACE Cash Express retained Walls Communications to develop and execute a last-minute public awareness and advertising campaign. A dedicated Walls Communications team coordinated radio and television interviews featuring ACE representatives; produced and placed radio spots on local radio stations; garnered the support of ACE by the two major local African American newspapers; coordinated a series of town-hall meetings on the Payday Loan issue; and managed ACE’s ongoing support of, and involvement with, numerous local community organizations.
The DC Council ultimately imposed a prohibitive annual percentage rate (APR) cap on the industry. As a result, most of the Payday Loan companies no longer operate in the District. Despite these facts however, ACE Cash Express has remained in the city to provide check cashing and other financial services. ACE also continues to support several local community groups with the ongoing aid and support of Walls Communications.