CPI Card Group Receives Multiple Élan Awards

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Wed Apr 29, 2009 11:36am EDT

LITTLETON, Colo.--(Business Wire)--
CPI Card Group, a world leader in card manufacturing and related solutions, is
pleased to have received two Élan awards and five finalist positions at the 2009
ICMA Annual EXPO. The awards recognize the latest advancements and achievements
in card design throughout the industry. 

The only award that recognizes card design innovation as well as technical
achievement in the industry, the ICMA Élan Awards honor card manufacturers and
vendors for their excellent card design and innovative products. Each entry was
selected by a panel of judges in a blind competition. Entries were judged solely
on the card`s features and were not identified by company. Delegates attending
the Expo selected the People`s Choice Award winners. 

CPI`s awards and finalist cards, for five different clients, were in the
following categories: 

Best Gift & Promotional Card, Winner: Toys Card, manufactured for Walgreens 

People`s Choice, Winner (Tie): First Data Go-Tag Sticker, manufactured for First
Data 

Best Identification Card, Finalist: Guanajuato Driver`s License, manufactured
for Latin ID 

Unique Innovation, Finalist: VSX Sport Card, manufactured for Limited Brands 

Best Secure Financial Card Design, Finalist: Elevate Card, manufactured for
Virgin America and Barclaycard US 

Best Other Secure Card Design, Finalist: First Data Go-Tag Sticker, manufactured
for First Data 

People`s Choice, Finalist: Toys Card, manufactured for Walgreens 

Walgreens category manager Leslie Demourelle says, "We are honored by the ICMA`s
recognition of the Walgreens Toys gift card. We wanted to create an innovative
solution that would further position Walgreens as a destination for its great
selection of toys at affordable prices. CPI Card Group`s design and production
team worked closely with our advertising team to bring the imaginative and
challenging concept to fruition, while keeping a sharp eye on costs. The result
was a `funtastic` card design that met our budget constraints, yet exceeded our
expectations for execution." 

Kathy Cook, Brand Manager at Limited Brands, adds, "Limited Brands leveraged
CPI`s expertise and experience to develop a full wood card for Victoria`s
Secret. The brand wanted to determine if there was an option for a full wood
card with no overlay that would sustain typical consumer use and work at our
POS. We worked directly with the CPI team, which was instrumental in bringing
this wood card to market for Victoria`s Secret. CPI worked with suppliers to
find the right type of wood that met the needs of the brand but would also be
able to work on the press. The brand was thrilled by the final output as it
completely aligned with their brand position and differentiated them in the
market place. Limited Brands appreciates and values the work of CPI to deliver
the best and most innovative stored value products. They are viewed as a key
supplier of the Enterprise, and we look forward to our continued partnership." 

"We found it challenging to develop a plastic design that would set the Virgin
America card program apart from the industry," said Pat Santilli, Marketing
Operations, Barclaycard US. "We also wanted to make sure the card captured the
spirit and fun of the Virgin America brand. With the help of CPI, we were able
to identify unique printing techniques to get the effect we sought. The
debossing tactic that CPI developed for the front of the card was a great way to
differentiate Virgin America's card from others. CPI was able to provide
versioning quickly which allowed Virgin America to make its final decision on
card design." 

Dominique Gas, General Manager at Latin ID, says, "We are extremely pleased that
our Guanajuato Driver`s License card was a finalist in the Best Identification
Card category. The Guanajuato Driver`s License secured design is exclusive. The
card includes different levels of security that help fight against forgery and
counterfeiting. This is a very complex card, and CPI did an outstanding job that
the ICMA recognized." 

About CPI Card Group

CPI, a global leader in financial and commercial card production and related
services, offers a single source for plastic cards, from foil cards and
holograms to translucent and smart cards, and personalization and fulfillment
services. CPI offers the largest production capacity in North America. CPI`s
production sites include Denver, Colorado; Fort Wayne, Indiana; Las Vegas,
Nevada; Colchester, England; Liverpool, England; and Toronto, Canada. CPI`s
plants in Colorado, Nevada, Colchester and Liverpool are ISO 9001 certified. For
more information, visit www.cpicardgroup.com. 





CPI Card Group
Regina Ramey, 303-345-2441
rramey@cpicardgroup.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009

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