Early Bird Special (EBS)

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ECGI-Watt International Client Longs Drug Stores Awarded Top Honors For Innovation At The 2004 Retail Excellence Awards

Wednesday, December 15, 2004 08:32 ET

TORONTO, Dec 15, 2004 (Canada NewsWire via COMTEX) --Watt International, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Envoy Communications Group (NASDAQ: ECGI/TSX: ECG), today announced that its design project with Longs Drug Stores won the 2004 Retail Merchandising Innovation Award at this year's Retail Excellence Awards, presented by Drug Store News. Longs Drug Stores is one of the most recognized retail drug store chains on the West Coast and in Hawaii with over 472 stores.

Longs launched a remodeling program in 2003 to aggressively pursue points of differentiation in the areas of health, wellness, beauty and convenience. The drug store chain turned to Watt to help further develop its store environments and to create a more engaging shopping experience for customers while improving the store's productivity and efficiency. The visual elements and productivity improvements developed for these remodels are also being incorporated into new stores as well. The new look featuring new signage, vibrant colors and a revamped "racetrack" layout has enhanced the shopping experience for Longs' customers.

"We're thrilled to have helped Longs create an enjoyable and innovative shopping environment that appeals to customers and achieves results," says Patrick Rodmell, Managing Director, Watt International. "This award is a great testimonial to Watt's ability in delivering retail solutions that reflect Longs commitment to their customer's needs."

About Watt International

Watt International Inc. (www.wattinternational.com) is one of the world's largest brand strategy and design consultancies, with offices in North America and the United Kingdom. Watt has applied its strategies to drive client profitability in more than two dozen industries, spanning 35 countries. Watt is a member of the Envoy Group of Companies (NASDAQ: ECGI/TSX: ECG).

About Envoy

Envoy Communications Group (NASDAQ: ECGI/TSX:ECG) is a marketing and international consumer and retail branding company with offices throughout North America and Europe. Combining strategy, creativity and innovation, Envoy's interconnected network of companies delivers business-building solutions to over 200 leading global brands and has successfully completed assignments in more than 40 countries around the world.

VIEW ADDITIONAL COMPANY-SPECIFIC INFORMATION: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/orgDisplay.cgi?okey=45712 http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/orgDisplay.cgi?okey=10747

For further information: Jennifer Brooks, Watt International,
[phone] ext. 221, jbrooks(at)wattintl.com

News release via Canada NewsWire, Toronto 416-863-9350

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