Ricoh Encourages Businesses to ``Re-Think Color'' Through Launch of National...

Business Editors

WEST CALDWELL, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 24, 2003

Ricoh Corporation, the Dependable Digital(TM) output company, has launched a new, $16 million advertising campaign that has begun appearing in television and print ads across the country.

Created

by Gigante Vaz Partners Advertising Inc., the television commercial encourages its audience to "Re-Think Color" through captivating visual effects. Combining a camera mounted on a motorcycle with sophisticated computer graphics, the commercial beckons the viewer to follow beams of light on a high-speed flight through a black and white New York City. Suddenly, the beams of light turn colorful as they burst through the doors of an office building filled with vibrant color and work their way through the office to arrive at the Aficio 1232 printer. The camera then zooms in on a high-quality print that reads, "Re-Think Color." The screen fades to the question, "How well do you print, copy, scan, fax, share?" and cuts to the Ricoh logo.

"As the leader in multi-function products, Ricoh has made color printing options affordable to all businesses," said Hede Nonaka, vice president of Marketing for Ricoh Corporation. "We created this aggressive campaign to enlighten decision makers that they can break out of the black and white business world and move ahead to the world of color without increasing their black and white costs."

Targeted at C-level executives, IT professionals and purchasing influencers, the campaign specifically supports Ricoh's key new product, the Aficio 1232, a high-performance multifunction system that integrates copying, printing, scanning and optional faxing capabilities--all with "convenience color" capabilities and at an affordable price.

Television commercials will run in over 1,400 spots on all the major cable news networks as well as appearing during the evening news in New York and Los Angeles. The commercials will also run along with major league baseball coverage in 21 key markets, covering an additional 45% of all U.S. households.

Print ads will appear throughout the next year in all major business and technology publications including the Wall Street Journal, Business Week, US News & World Report, Wired, Business 2.0, Fast Company, Inc. magazine, PC Magazine, PC World and Information Week, as well as in a number of trade publications.

About Ricoh Corporation

Ricoh Corporation, headquartered in West Caldwell, N.J., is a subsidiary of Ricoh Company Ltd., the 67-year-old leading supplier of office automation equipment and electronics, with fiscal year 2001 sales in excess of $14 billion.

The Company oversees Ricoh operations in North, Central and South America, including the Ricoh, Savin, Gestetner and Lanier brands. For fiscal year 2001, Ricoh Corporation sales exceeded $2.7 billion.

Ricoh Corporation is a leading provider of multifunctional document systems including color and black & white digital imaging systems, facsimile products, printers, scanners, digital duplicators and wide format engineering systems.

In 2003, Ricoh Company Ltd. received the Gold Medal Award from the World Environmental Center for International Achievement in Sustainable Development. The Gold Medal was given to Ricoh for demonstrating preeminent leadership and contributing to worldwide environmental quality.

Information about Ricoh's complete range of products and services can be accessed on the World Wide Web at www.ricoh-usa.com.

All referenced products names are the trademarks of their respective companies.