MINNEAPOLIS (June 7, 2005)– Less than 90 days after Continental Airlines formally awarded its OnePass loyalty program direct marketing business to The Lacek Group, the company has combined Continental’s OnePass statement and newsletter into a single, easy to follow direct mail piece utilizing Vertis’ extensive personalization and production expertise. Lacek engaged Vertis, a leading producer of targeted advertising and media services, to print the highly personalized direct mail through its proprietary inline process.  Each month, approximately one million frequent flyer communications are mailed containing several variable messages, a personalized statement, and summary information.  "This new, personalized statement is another example of Continental's commitment to the OnePass frequent flyer community,” said Mark Bergsrud, Continental’s vice president, marketing programs and distribution.   “From the moment they open the envelope, our customers will be able to see and evaluate the information most pertinent to their individual accounts". The new OnePass statement contains more personalized information and is better organized, with clear and logical pagination.  It leads with an “activity at a glance” chart that summarizes a customer’s balances, airline activity, non-airline activity and reward activity, as well as qualifying miles and points.  A bar graph is also included for the members to quickly assess progress toward Elite status. “Our goal was to reduce costs by combining a newsletter and a statement, while increasing the effectiveness and personalized nature of communications to Continental’s frequent flyers,” said Bill Baker, The Lacek Group’s general manager. “We needed a partner who had the technology to help us deliver our solution, and Vertis had the expertise we were looking for.” “Vertis is pleased to be part of such a critical project for The Lacek Group and Continental Airlines,” said Dave Colatriano, senior vice president and general manager of direct mail and premedia for Vertis.  “We specialize in executing data strategies, creative formats, and sophisticated personalization, which matched Lacek’s vision and helped facilitate Continental’s new OnePass statement.” The clearer depiction of activity continues on the OnePass statement with a detailed section found in the heart of the piece, chronicling all airline and non-airline activity since the OnePass member’s last statement.  The remainder of the newsletter is presented in a colorful, interesting layout, and contains feature stories, customized offers from Continental partners, as well as other information tailored to the recipient. Vertis’ innovative processes allow all Continental customer data to be converted and printed in one week for the most up-to-date information. This capability allows last-minute changes to be turned around in 24-hours when necessary. For more information, contact Michelle Metter or Maria Amor at (619) 234-0345.