Nation's Leading Marketing Services Company Enables Consumers to Enjoy Life's Little Extras

LIVONIA, Mich., Jan. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Valassis (NYSE: VCI) , the nation's leading marketing services company, today launched RedPlum, a consumer brand positioned as the ultimate source of value delivered straight to the mailbox, doorstep, in the newspaper, in-store and online. With this launch Valassis also introduces redplum.com, a dynamic, interactive Internet destination for value, savings and special deals in an array of categories.

"RedPlum provides consumers with exactly what they are looking for: an easy way to take advantage of savings opportunities that will, in turn, help them to take advantage of other simple pleasures in life," said Alan F. Schultz, Valassis Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. "RedPlum understands the importance of indulgence, even on a budget."

As part of its brand launch, Valassis is introducing an interactive consumer-oriented portal. This powerful new portal, redplum.com, will be unprecedented in terms of its breadth and content with coupons, special offers, contests and helpful information. Its offers will include national, regional and local values as well as relevant information about products and services in categories including apparel, automotive, beauty, dining, electronics, entertainment, fashion, fitness, grocery, health, home, pets and travel.

"The Web site was designed with the busy consumer in mind," said Brian Costello, Valassis General Manager for Interactive, who headed the development of redplum.com . "It will be quick and easy to search for values, and consumers won't be required to register. They simply enter the products they are seeking, select the best offers, add them to their shopping cart of savings and print. It's as simple as that. They'll even be able to monitor how much they've saved over time so they can justify what they splurge on later."

Redplum.com is expected to receive tremendous attention; however, it will not replace Valassis' familiar print vehicles. Newspapers, the postal service and in-store will continue to be critical avenues for delivering value to consumers.

The launch of RedPlum is a natural next step for Valassis following its acquisition of the nation's largest direct mail media company in March 2007. The combination of the two companies created a media services powerhouse that connects thousands of advertisers with over 100 million consumers each week, representing 90 percent of U.S. households, through its various marketing vehicles which include free-standing inserts (FSI), polybags and the direct mail package previously known as ShopWise(R), which is now re-branded as RedPlum. This direct mail package will continue to feature the widely recognized Have You Seen Me(R) missing child images. Additionally, Valassis recently announced expansion of its America's Looking For Its Missing Children(R) program on the back cover of the FSI.

RedPlum launches amid a backdrop of economic uncertainty with subprime mortgage concerns, high energy prices and fears of a recession as well as some of the lowest consumer savings rates in recent history. "Research shows that nine out of 10 people are unhappy with the amount of money they are saving and in fact many of them are living beyond their means," said Schultz. "By enabling them to spend less on everyday goods and services they can focus more on the things that bring them happiness, whether that is a dinner out, a night at the movies, or a special family activity."

About Valassis

Valassis is the nation's leading marketing services company, offering unparalleled reach and scale to more than 15,000 advertisers. Its RedPlum portfolio delivers value on a weekly basis to over 100 million shoppers across a multi-media platform - in-home, in-store and in-motion. Through its newest offering - redplum.com - consumers will find compelling national and local deals online. Headquartered in Livonia, Michigan with approximately 7,000 associates in 29 states and nine countries, Valassis is widely recognized for its associate and corporate citizenship programs, including its Have You Seen Me?(R) missing child program. Valassis companies include Valassis Direct Mail, Inc., Valassis Canada, Promotion Watch, Valassis Relationship Marketing, LLC and NCH Marketing Services, Inc. For more information, visit http://www.valassis.com or http://www.redplum.com .

Safe Harbor

Certain statements found in this document constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the following: price competition from the Company's existing competitors; new competitors in any of the Company's businesses; a shift in customer preference for different promotional materials, strategies or coupon delivery methods; an unforeseen increase in the Company's paper or postal costs; changes which affect the businesses of the Company's customers and lead to reduced sales promotion spending; challenges and costs of achieving synergies and cost savings in connection with the ADVO acquisition and integrating ADVO's operations may be greater than expected; the Company's substantial indebtedness, and its ability to incur additional indebtedness, may affect the Company's financial health; certain covenants in the Company's debt documents could adversely restrict the Company's financial and operating flexibility; fluctuations in the amount, timing, pages and weight, and kinds of advertising pieces from period to period, due to a change in the Company's customers' promotional needs, inventories and other factors; the Company's failure to attract and retain qualified personnel may affect its business and results of operations; a rise in interest rates could increase the Company's borrowing costs; the outcome of ADVO's pending shareholder lawsuits; possible governmental regulation or litigation affecting aspects of the Company's business; and general economic conditions, whether nationally or in the market areas in which the Company conducts its business, may be less favorable than expected. These and other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's business are described in greater detail in its filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q, and the foregoing information should be read in conjunction with these filings. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward- looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.