SICOLAMARTIN AND VML PUT BALFOUR.COM AT HEAD OF CLASS
Phase One Upgrades High School Section of Website

AUSTIN, TX - MARCH 19, 2007 – Austin-based advertising and marketing agency SicolaMartin and VML, a marketing technology company based in Kansas City, Missouri, have completed stage one of a multi-phased website overhaul for Balfour.com at www.balfour.com/schoolfinder/. Balfour®, also based in Austin, is a leading manufacturer and marketer of customized rings for high school, college, military and sports championships, as well as graduation products. The company is a division of Commemorative Brands Inc., which also owns the Artcarved® and Keepsake® brands.

Balfour hired the team of SicolaMartin and sister WPP agency, VML, to redesign and enhance their customer website's overall interface last fall. The agencies are charged with making the 94-year-old company's website more engaging and operational to the various markets that Balfour serves. The current upgrade reflects an energetic new look for Balfour's home page – the portal to all product lines – as well as the high school ring section. An updated ring configurator allows students to design any number of rings then share with friends and family for feedback before making an order. Balfour will make upgrades to other customer web sections such as college and military later this year. "The new Balfour site promises to provide a big boost in refreshing the brand among our core customers and beyond," stated Matt Gase, general manager at Commemorative Brands, Inc. "As the various updates roll out, this website will be a one-stop shop for students, parents, friends, military personnel and athletes who want to commemorate milestones in their lives." "The refresh for Balfour.com is such a vital step in keeping their target market engaged with the brand throughout their high school and college years," said Steve Martin, senior vice president of SicolaMartin. "This age group spends vast amounts of time online for everything from socializing to schoolwork to shopping, so a compelling website is a must. Balfour.com will give their audience plenty to see, learn and share time and again," he continued.

SicolaMartin is responsible for the strategic planning and creative direction with additional duties for online ad planning and buying. VML has collaborated on web design and is leading the website's interface design and technical development.

About SicolaMartin
Austin, Texas-based SicolaMartin is an advertising and marketing agency specializing in targeted and integrated campaigns that leverage technology and the digital convergence of media and marketing. For more than 20 years, the agency's creative excellence and in-depth marketing experience have delivered effective campaigns for consumer and technology industry leaders like AMD, Blu-ray Disc, Epson, Hewlett Packard, Sybase, and the American Cancer Society. The Texas Association of Business and Society for Human Resource Management named SicolaMartin one of the 50 Best Companies to Work for in Texas (#8). The agency is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Young & Rubicam Brands with a satellite office in San Francisco.

About Commemorative Brands
Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Commemorative Brands, Inc. is the country's leading manufacturer and supplier of commemorative jewelry, from class rings for colleges and universities across the country, to wedding and affinity jewelry, as well as graduation announcements and accessories. Balfour has been creating class and sports achievement rings and accessories for over 100 years and is a division of American Achievement Corporation.

About VML:
VML is one of the world's leading marketing technology companies, based in Kansas City, Missouri, with additional offices in New York; Seattle; San Francisco; Chicago; and London. Founded in 1992, specializes in delivering creative solutions at the intersection of marketing and technology. VML's unique credentials include everything from online brand development and digital marketing to the most complex enterprise-level site development and enhancement initiatives. In 2004 and 2005, HR Magazine recognized VML as one of the “Top 25 Best Companies to Work for in America.” VML's clients includes some of the world's most recognizable and powerful brands like adidas, AMC Theatres, Burger King, BP/Castrol, Colgate-Palmolive, Hill's Pet Nutrition, Intuit, Microsoft, Simon Property Group, Sprint, Wal-Mart, Xerox and YRC Worldwide.

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