KEYBANK Launches National Advertising Campaign

New Creative Uses Lighthearted Approach Emphasizing Key Can Help Provide The Route to Successful Financial Destinations

CLEVELAND, April 13, 2005 - KeyCorp, one of the nation's leading bank-based financial services companies, launched a new advertising campaign April 11. The new advertising targets both consumer bank customers and corporate banking clients and will air in primetime and local TV news segments and drive-time radio across its 12-state franchise. The campaign includes television, radio, outdoor and print advertising.

"We've taken a new approach to our advertising, targeting two distinctively different audiences using humorous, unrealistic situations that underscore Key's 'Achieve anything' brand positioning," says Karen R. Haefling, Chief Marketing Officer. "The campaign emphasizes Key's solutions-based trusted advisor strategy that crosses all of its businesses, including consumer and institutional."

"What's the best route to a successful financial destination? KeyBank can help with the ride."

The new campaign theme is, "KeyBank helps you find the best routes to your financial destinations." The 30-second consumer television spots focus on two lighthearted scenarios of individuals' misguided approaches to reaching their respective financial destinations: saving for a child's college education; and retirement planning. The spots use rides on a metro bus line, or in a car on a toll road, as metaphors for unrealistic ways to achieve financial destinations.

The corporate banking spots present situations reflecting aspirations common to executives and how Key helps take them from "here [aspiration] to there [realization]" through tailored service, solutions and products. Executions focus on executives who want to help their companies reach important financial destinations through comically unrealistic means. The spots will air on CNBC.

Three corporate print ads focus on challenges an executive might face and Key's understanding of their markets, their mindset and their vision to help them overcome these challenges. The ads will run April through December in The Wall Street Journal and leading national business and finance publications.

"Proud sponsor of achievement everywhere."

The consumer outdoor advertising includes billboards, bus panels and kiosks that use a poignant image to convey that everyone has aspirations - and Key champions their customers' financial goal achievement.

The campaign was created by Columbus, Ohio-based GSW Worldwide.

Cleveland-based KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY) is one of the nation's largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $91 billion. Key companies provide investment management, retail and commercial banking, consumer finance, and investment banking products and services to individuals and companies throughout the United States and, for certain businesses, internationally.

NOTE TO EDITORS: For up-to-date company information, media contacts and facts and figures about Key lines of business, visit our Media Newsroom at Key.com/newsroom.

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