First Interstate Bank Ads Recognized for the Bank Marketing Association's ''Best of the Best''...

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 2, 1995--The Bank Marketing Association (BMA) recently awarded First Interstate Bank two of the coveted ``Best of the Best'' awards at the 1995 Advertising Awards Competition in Nashville. First Interstate's winning entries in print and television categories were

Nationally, First Interstate Bank was the only bank in the Western United States to receive the top award in the print category and the only bank headquartered in California to receive a Best of the Best television award.

``We were thrilled to take home the top award in two of the five categories,'' said Dennis Shirley, First Interstate Bank senior vice president and advertising director. ``After months of developing our brand building campaign, it's really gratifying to have the ads be so well received by our customers and our peers.''

First Interstate's winning entries are part of the bank's current YOU & I image campaign. Four four-color print and three television advertisements were entered, each promoting the bank's ability to help customers achieve their goals, dreams and aspirations with small business loans, college savings plans, auto loans, or home improvement loans.

Each year, the BMA gives awards to the best print, direct mail, television, multimedia and radio advertisements in the financial services industry. At the 1995 competition, 66 winners were selected to receive Excellence Certificates from more than 450 entries that were produced in 1994. From the 66, only 18 were chosen to receive the Best of the Best award.

The Bank Marketing Association, an affiliate of the American Bankers Association, is the leading provider of marketing information, education and services to the financial services industry. BMA has approximately 3,000 individual members representing financial institutions and firms that provide products and services to the financial services industry.

Hal Riney & Partners was hired as First Interstate Bank's advertising agency in January 1994. Headquartered in San Francisco, Hal Riney is the country's 27th largest agency and one of the largest privately held agencies in the nation. The agency has offices in San Francisco, New York, Chicago and Atlanta.

The First Interstate Banks in 13 western states provide financial products and services to customers through 1,142 offices. These banks serve individuals, small businesses, middle market companies and selected large corporations and financial institutions primarily in the West. Working together with Standard Chartered Bank of London, First Interstate provides a variety of international banking services and extends its reach to companies around the world. First Interstate provides quality financial products and services marketed at the local level to nearly five million households in over 500 western communities.

CONTACT: First Interstate Bank, Los Angeles

Ken Preston, 213/614-3656