Lexmark launches advertising campaign for new Z series inkjet printer line; Lexmark's "Passion for Printing ideas" tag-line captures the company's core differentiators

Business Wire, Oct 7, 1999

LEXINGTON, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 7, 1999--

Lexmark International (NYSE: LXK) today announced the launch of its first global campaign to highlight the competitive advantages of its Z Series printers, the highest resolution inkjet printers in the world.

The multimedia campaign will run in the U.S., Canada, Europe and several markets in Latin America through a combination of television, radio, and consumer and business print. The U.S. television campaign, directed by Herb Ritts, one of the world's leading photographers and commercial directors, will debut during the upcoming 1999 Major League Baseball World Series. Print ads, photographed by Herb Ritts, are running in magazines such as Time, People and Sports Illustrated.

Developed by Warwick Baker O'Neill, N.Y., the campaign uses a colorful montage of images overlaid on consumer faces to represent Lexmark's ability to capture the consumer's imagination in print. The new tagline, "Passion for Printing Ideas," underscores Lexmark's dedication to providing quality printing technologies that meet customer needs and exceed their expectations.

"This campaign successfully captures the true dual strengths of the Lexmark brand - our unparalleled dedication to the customer and the technological innovation that results from our single focus on printing solutions", said Roger Rydell, Vice President of Corporate Communications for Lexmark. "In addition, these ads highlight Lexmark's unique position in the market as the only organization dedicated solely to the development, manufacturing and supplying of quality consumer and business printers and supplies."

Kevin O'Neill, chief creative officer and president for the agency said "Two things matter in this advertising campaign: the printing ideas of Lexmark and printing the ideas of their customers. The campaign brings them powerfully together."

Lexmark began in 1991 as a spin-off from IBM's printer division. Now a $3 billion company, Lexmark has received many industry accolades including a listing in the Fortune 500 and a top spot on the BusinessWeek Info Tech 100. Lexmark's main competitors in the explosive consumer and business printer arena include Hewlett Packard, Canon, EPSON and Xerox.

The campaign represents Warwick Baker O'Neill's first major global campaign. The advertising was developed in New York and will be adjusted as necessary by partner agencies in Paris for Pan-European execution and in Miami for Latin American usage and Toronto for Canadian usage.

Creative Director: John Short

Art Director: Sidney Zanzani-Barrier

Copywriters: Andy Mendelsohn, Karl Dunn

Photographer: Herb Ritts Director: Herb Ritts

About Lexmark

Lexmark International, Inc. is a global developer, manufacturer and supplier of printing solutions and products, including laser, inkjet and dot matrix printers and associated consumable supplies for the office and home markets. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lexmark International Group, Inc. (NYSE: LXK). Lexmark is on the internet at www.lexmark.com or http://press.lexmark.com.

Lexmark is a trademark of Lexmark International, Inc., registered in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.