FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Gateway 2000 Brings Silicon Prairie to Super Bowl Sunday

New Ad Campaign Shows Gateway Is a Different Kind of Computer Company NORTH SIOUX CITY, S.D., January 24, 1997 - Gateway 2000^®, Inc. (NYSE: GTW), a leading global marketer of PCs, is blazing a trail in advertising with three new television spots that will air on Super Bowl Sunday.

The three 30-second commercials capture the spirit that drives Gateway 2000, which helped to create the direct channel. Unlike other computer ads, which usually focus on products, the Gateway spots showcase Midwestern values, a sense of humor and a dedication to consumers.

"The advertising really shows what this company is about," said Dr. James Taylor, senior vice president of global marketing. "We built this company on the Silicon Prairie on the values that are important to all Americans. Our customers tell us we’re a company they want to do business with ... because we care, we do what we promise and we don’t take ourselves too seriously. We enjoy giving consumers the coolest new technology possible. We’re the kind of people you’d want to have as neighbors. We are a friend in the business."

The campaign, created by Minneapolis agency Carmichael Lynch, stays close to Gateway’s roots, depicting a down-home flavor while prominently exhibiting the company’s trademark black-and-white, cow-spotted boxes. Conceived in part by the company’s in-house ad team, each commercial features Gateway employees.

The first spot, "Cyberspace Cowboy," features a Gateway employee decked out in cowboy attire, playing the harmonica while tending a herd of PCs on the range. As the cowboy protectively watches, a voice says, "There’s no bond more sacred than between us and our herd."

The second ad, "Thanks," shows a factory scene, with Gateway employees busily assembling computers. A hush falls over the room when one employee fails to thank another for handing him a part. Suddenly realizing his mistake, the employee thanks his colleague and a relieved workforce resumes production. The announcer says, "We’ve got our own set of ways here at Gateway 2000. You see it in every computer we build."

The third spot, "Dancing Cow Boxes," features a choir of Gateway employees performing against a backdrop of farmland. As the choir sings "You are my Sunshine," and a band plays, dancing cow boxes tap their way across the stage. An announcer says, "We just want to take a South Dakota moment to tell all our friends with Gateway computers how much we care."

The campaign will break on John Madden’s pre-game show on Sunday, January 26, on the Fox Network.

About Gateway 2000

Gateway 2000, Inc., a Fortune 500 company founded in 1985, is a global leader in the direct marketing of PCs. The company, headquartered in North Sioux City, South Dakota, has manufacturing facilities in the United States, Ireland and Malaysia, and employs over 9,000 people worldwide. Gateway 2000 products and services consistently win top awards from leading industry publications.

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