ING Debuts New Advertisements That Highlight an 'Easier' Way to Plan Your Financial Future

According to a recent five-day, online survey of more than 1,000 Americans conducted by ING and Ipsos Public Affairs, nearly half of Americans (49 percent) say it is easier to get a cat unstuck from a tree than it is to safeguard their future by making the right financial choices. This unexpected and comical juxtaposition of life circumstances is at the heart of ING's new television advertising campaign, which launches nationally today and highlights how ING can help people find easier solutions for planning their financial future.

"Based on our research, it's clear that Americans still see the process of managing their money as a daunting, complex task and ING is dedicated to helping to make it easier," said Tricia Conahan, senior vice president -- brand marketing, ING U.S. Financial Services.

ING's survey also showed that Americans equate an easier future with getting their financial house in order. Asked if given an extra $10,000 per year to spend on one or two things to make their life easier in the future, six in 10 would use it on investments or retirement savings (62 percent) while half (51 percent) would use it to reduce debt.

"ING's campaign demonstrates that a simple solution to a challenge can still be found in today's complicated world. ING strives to help consumers find easier solutions for their financial goals and objectives for saving, investing, protecting and managing their money," said Conahan.

The 30-second spot, titled "Cat," features a cat stuck in a tree and a group of overly concerned citizens, including fire fighters and rescue workers, as they work diligently to lure the cat from the tree, with no success despite their valiant efforts. After several failed attempts and frustration, a woman sitting on the ING Bench simply opens a can of tuna and sets it out for the cat. The cat quickly comes down from the tree for the treat. The spot emphasizes that the secret to making life easier could be as simple as choosing ING for your financial services.

A unifying symbol in ING's campaign is the iconic ING Bench. The ING Bench is a respite or safe vantage point in the advertisements to observe all manner of human truths and represents that trusting your financial security and future with ING -- things truly are easier.

The "Cat" spot debuts today and subsequent spots in the series will air later this year. The commercials will air during telecasts of major golf and tennis championships in 2007, in conjunction with Major League Baseball's Opening Day on April 1 and other high-profile television events, as well as on cable channels such as ESPN and The Travel Channel. New this year, the ING Bench will be integrated into actual programming, such as NBC's broadcast of Wimbledon and The Travel Channel's "1,000 Places to See Before You Die" series.

BBDO Atlanta developed the commercials.

ING launched its "Your future. Made easier." brand position in 2006 following the execution of the ING Financial Planning and Investment Survey, a study of more than 1,000 American consumers conducted by Roper GfK, that found that nearly 75 percent of consumers surveyed wish financial services firms were easier to deal with, and 73 percent said they would gladly switch to a financial services firm with a reputation for making the financial process easier.

ING's brand color, orange, is featured prominently in the ads. The ads also feature ING's signature humorous and clever approach that highlights that the company does things differently than its competitors. Since launching in the United States in 2001, ING has featured its now-iconic ING Bench in advertisements.

About ING

ING is a global financial institution of Dutch origin offering banking, insurance and asset management to over 60 million private, corporate and institutional clients in more than 50 countries. With a diverse workforce of over 120,000 people, ING comprises a broad spectrum of prominent companies that increasingly serve their clients under the ING brand.

In the U.S., the ING family of companies offer a comprehensive array of financial services to retail and institutional clients which include life insurance, retirement plans, mutual funds, managed accounts, alternative investments, direct banking, institutional investment management, annuities, employee benefits, financial planning, and reinsurance. ING holds top-tier rankings in key U.S. markets and serves over 14 million customers across the nation. For more information, visit www.ing.com

Research Methodology

Online interviews were conducted using Ipsos' Online Omnibus between March 15 and 19, 2007 with 1,030 adults aged 18 and over. Results are demographically balanced to represent the population of adults aged 18 and over in the United States. The margin of error is + 3.1 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.

About Ipsos Public Affairs

Ipsos Public Affairs serves the needs of American and international organizations with non-partisan and objective strategic research on social and political issues, communications, and corporate reputation among both stakeholders and the general public. It has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Seattle, and other cities around the world. Ipsos Public Affairs is the polling partner of The Associated Press, the world's oldest and largest news organization. Ipsos Public Affairs is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group with over 6,000 research professionals in 45 countries. To learn more, visit: www.ipsos-na.com/pa/us

SOURCE: ING U.S. Financial Services

CONTACT: Press inquiries, Dana E. Ripley, of ING US Financial Services,
+1-770-980-4865, or 404-788-9624 (cell), or dana.ripley@us.ing.com

Web site: http://www.ing.com/us
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