Applebee's International Selects McCann Erickson as Agency of Record

Business Wire, July 13, 2007

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- Applebee's International, Inc. (Nasdaq:APPB), the world's largest casual dining concept, has selected McCann Erickson of New York as its new creative agency of record, effective immediately.

McCann Erickson is internationally known for its award-winning creative work on iconic campaigns including MasterCard's "Priceless," Staples' "Easy Button" and Verizon's "The Network," among others, and they are industry leaders in advertising effectiveness.

Applebee's first priority with McCann Erickson is to develop a new integrated communications campaign that will launch in the fourth quarter.

"After an extensive agency review process, we are thrilled to have McCann Erickson on board to create fresh and compelling advertising that will take the Applebee's brand to a whole new level," said George Williams, Applebee's chief marketing officer. "We believe the concept McCann presented to us fits perfectly with our brand strategy. It will break through the category clutter, drive traffic to our restaurants and entertain everyone who sees it."

Eric Keshin, chief operating officer of McCann Worldgroup and regional director of McCann Erickson North America, said, "To help Applebee's achieve their aggressive ambitions for the brand, it was important to develop an idea that is iconic, ownable, extendable and break-through. And most importantly, drive traffic. We are thrilled to be working with the Applebee's team and look forward to helping them realize their goals."

About Applebee's

Applebee's International, Inc., headquartered in Overland Park, Kan., develops, franchises and operates restaurants under the Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar brand, the largest casual dining concept in the world. As of July 1, there were 1,943 Applebee's restaurants operating system-wide in 49 states, one U.S. territory and 16 international countries. Additional information on Applebee's International can be found at the company's website (www.applebees.com).

About McCann Erickson

McCann Erickson Worldwide is the world's leading global advertising agency network, with operations in more than 130 countries and a client roster that includes preeminent global marketers and many of the world's most famous brands. The agency is a unit of McCann Worldgroup, one of the largest marketing communications companies in the world, which is part of the U.S.-based Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG).