VML Named AOR for Hallmark Business Expressions.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- VML, a WPP company based in Kansas City, Missouri, and one of the world's leading marketing technology companies, announced today that it was named interactive marketing Agency of Record (AOR) for Hallmark Business Expressions (HBE). VML won the business in a formal agency pitch against four national agency competitors.

As AOR, VML will handle all demand generation, digital marketing and media for HBE, a subsidiary of Hallmark Cards, Inc. that creates greeting cards designed to help businesses build effective business relationships with their customers and employees. Last year, HBE began to re-position the business to better serve businesses of all sizes, whether they send 50 cards or 500,000. VML's scope of work will include strategic development, digital creative, online/search, media planning and buying and data analytics.

"We won the business with a comprehensive and intelligent campaign," said Matt Anthony, VML CEO. "Our experience in the demand generation space with clients like Microsoft, Sprint and Intuit, combined with highly relevant creative for clients like Colgate, Sears and Simon made a very strong case. What's more, we presented a complete plan to aggressively launch HBE ahead of the holiday season 2006, while demonstrating our readiness and discipline to deliver results."

According to Cindy Mahoney, General Manager at Hallmark Business Expressions, "VML was selected because they've demonstrated they can get results for some of the country's top brands."

This is a significant win for VML and its first AOR relationship with a Hallmark subsidiary after a long history of project work for Hallmark. "This was an intense national review process," said Anthony, "and the fact that both companies are headquartered in Kansas City is a convenient coincidence for us both. We couldn't be more energized by the potential of our new relationship."

About VML

VML is one of the world's leading marketing technology companies, and is based in Kansas City, Missouri. More than 400 employees work in VML's offices in Kansas City, Missouri; New York; Seattle; Chicago; Atlanta; Los Angeles; London; and Bogota, Colombia. Founded in 1992, VML is a problem-solving organization that specializes in digital marketing -- the intersection of marketing and technology. VML's unique credentials include everything from brand development, offline advertising and direct marketing to the most complex web enablement and digital marketing solutions. In 2004 and 2005, HR Magazine recognized VML as one of the "Top 25 Best Companies to Work for in America."

VML's client list includes some of the world's most recognizable and powerful brands like AMC Theatres, Accenture, Burger King, BP/Castrol, Colgate-Palmolive, Hill's Pet Nutrition, Intuit, Microsoft, Simon Property Group, Sprint, Weight Watchers and YRC Worldwide.

VML is a Young & Rubicam Brands agency and a member of the WPP Group (Nasdaq:WPPGY). VML can be found online at http://www.vml.com/.