Island ECN Breaks First Brand Campaign On CNBC to Reach Sophisticated On-Line Investors; World-Renowned Gerard DeThame Directs Spots from Bozell New York.

Business Editors

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 20, 2000

Island ECN announced today that it has launched its first major advertising campaign this week, kicking off a $10-million fourth-quarter blitz on CNBC.

The "New Day" campaign, from Bozell New York, highlights the sort of superior service that the Island electronic communications network (ECN) delivers to top tier on-line traders.

"Our new campaign captures the essence of the Island brand," said Matthew Andresen, president of New York-based Island ECN. "Island is all about leveling the playing field for the individual investor - creating a better, more open marketplace. Island's mission is to provide investors with a transparent and fully accessible marketplace. By placing your orders on Island, your broker takes advantage of a cheaper, faster, more reliable marketplace."

Bozell, which won the Island account in March, enlisted internationally acclaimed Gerard DeThame to direct a trilogy of 30-second spots, Auction, Ghosts and Tourists. They all carry the tagline "Discover a better marketplace" and will air exclusively on CNBC. The campaign also includes consumer and trade print.

Although Island is a network of approximately 400 broker-dealers, the campaign speaks to serious, self-directed individual investors, with the goal of motivating them to request that their brokers place their orders on Island.

Auction aptly plays on Island's role in replacing the traditional exchange: a series of auction sounds and images unexpectedly reveals that pieces of a stock exchange are being auctioned off. Ghosts picks up after the auction is over by spotlighting Island's BookViewerSM product, which provides a free, real-time display of all buy and sell orders through Island. Tourists completes the trilogy with the scene of a tour bus making its way to the world's most famous stock exchange, which turns out to be closed. Across the street is a guy with a laptop, watching his orders appear in real-time on the BookViewer.

"Given the sheer scale of these spots, Gerard DeThame was a clear choice for director," explains David Nobay, Bozell New York group creative director. "The messages are very bold, but then so is Island in essentially redefining the future of the financial marketplace."

Island was founded approximately three years ago with the intent of providing all market participants - from individual investors to large financial institutions - with the ability to execute transactions on a level playing field, at an extremely low cost, without the presence of intermediaries. During the first half of 2000, Island's trading volume exceeded 23.8 billion shares, which accounted for a total dollar volume of more than $1.6 trillion.

Bozell New York is an $850-million advertising agency with a roster of blue chip clients including The Andrew Jergens Company, Bank of America, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Dairy Management Inc., Datek Online, eyeglasses.com, The Islands of the Bahamas, Lorillard's Youth Smoking Prevention Program, MassMutual Financial Group, Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP), The New York Times and Verizon Wireless. Bozell New York is part of Bozell Group, a top 25 consolidated U.S. agency with billings of $1.7 billion. Bozell Group is a unit of True North Communications Inc. (NYSE:TNO), a top global advertising and communications holding company.