Bankers Life and Casualty Company Sales Video Captures Coveted Telly Award; Video Educates Consumers About Planning for Long-Term Care.

Business Editors

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 6, 2002

Bankers Life and Casualty Company, a leading provider of life, health and annuity products to senior Americans, has won a Telly Award for an innovative long-term care sales video featuring Bankers' spokesperson and multiple Emmy award winning actor, Dick Van Dyke.

The 3,500 Bankers career agents nationwide are using the award-winning video, "Planning for the Long Term," to help educate customers on preparing for long-term care needs.

About Telly Awards:

The Telly Awards was founded in 1980 by a group of advertising executives to showcase and give recognition to outstanding television commercials, video productions and films. Over the past 22 years, the Telly Awards competition has become well-known and highly respected.

"We are extremely pleased to receive such a prestigious award," said Dan Veto, Bankers' Chief Marketing Officer Dan Veto. "This award symbolizes our dedication to the senior market for more than 30 years and the fact that we truly specialize in seniors."

In addition to Bankers, other winners in this year's competition include Microsoft, The Boeing Company and Johnson & Johnson.

About Selling to Seniors:

Bankers is addressing the growing senior health care crisis in this country through its agents who have been trained to educate and advise seniors and "soon to become seniors" about the need for retirement income planning, senior health coverage and long-term care protection.

The video provides Bankers agents with an excellent tool that emphasizes the need for protection and the importance of planning ahead. According to the Census Bureau, more than 1.3 million Americans are currently receiving care in a nursing home. Of that number, one million are on Medicaid, and of those who are on Medicaid, one third were forced to "spend down" their assets to qualify for benefits.

The video is a powerful component of a multi-faceted campaign that includes sales support materials, advertising, public relations, direct mail and strategic partnerships.

"We believe the video, with its customer testimonials and a compelling message from Dick Van Dyke, plays a vital role in helping senior Americans take the first step toward protecting their futures," said Veto.

The Bankers video development team recommends the following tips for
creating successful sales videos:

1.  Get real. Make sure the video addresses real needs and offers real
    solutions.

2.  Education first. Think of the video as more than a vehicle to
    promote product sales. It is an educational tool to be used to
    help clients better understand the benefits of a particular
    product or service.

3.  Consider your audience. Use images, language and spokespeople that
    resonate with the people you want to talk to.

4.  Don't cut corners. Hire the services of a top quality production
    company.

Indianapolis-based Creative Street, one of the country's leading producers of high-quality film and video programming, teamed with Bankers to produce the video.

Headquartered at the world famous Merchandise Mart in Chicago, Bankers has been one of the country's leading insurers of Senior America. Through a professionally trained sales force of 3,500 active career agents, Bankers provides a broad portfolio of health, life and annuity products to the senior market. The company currently manages more than 1.2 million senior policies, and each year pays out in excess of $1.2 billion in policyholder benefits and claims. For more information, visit www.bankerslife.com or call 1-800-283-8011.