Please direct your media and public relations inquiries to: mediarelations@cdw.com 800-800-4CDW CDW Takes National Marketing Efforts to New Heights with Blimp Tour East Coasters get first glimpse at 130-foot flying message VERNON HILLS, Ill. - May 28, 1999 - From kitchen table to FORTUNE 1000 company, CDW Computer Centers, Inc. (NASDAQ: CDWC) has been one of the technology industry's best kept secrets, until recently. To celebrate its 15th anniversary, CDW is taking its national marketing efforts and branding campaign to new heights with the launch of the CDW Blimp Tour. The blimp will take flight on a cross-country tour, lifting off in Philadelphia on June 1. To grab national attention, CDW first began telling its story last October with the launch of its corporate branding campaign. Now, in its latest marketing move, the company is taking its marketing initiatives to the next level by using this 130-foot vessel to increase brand awareness. "If you didn't know us before, you will now. Using the CDW Blimp Tour to show how we go above and beyond for our customers, we're literally jumping off the pages and coming to life," said Joe Kremer, CDW's vice president of marketing. "What better way to get the industry's best-kept secret out than a national, grass roots effort to share our message night and day." Until now, the company has focused on national television and print advertising for its branding campaign, positioning CDW as the one-stop source for knowledgeable service and support for brand-name computer products based on its pioneering direct model and one-on-one relationships. "Growing so quickly, we never really stopped to tell our story," said Michael P. Krasny, CDW founder and chief executive officer, who started the company with a $3, three-day ad in the Chicago Tribune. "Now, after celebrating 15 years of success, we are spreading our message nationwide with our blimp tour." The CDW Blimp Tour's East Coast activities include radio promotions and computer giveaways in Philadelphia, Atlanta and New York. As a special assignment, the blimp will be on hand to provide aerial coverage of the New York Yankees vs. New York Mets baseball game for FOX Sports (June 5); and the Atlanta Braves home games vs. Baltimore Orioles for TBS (June 11) and FOX Sports (June 12). The West Coast CDW Blimp Tour gets off the ground this fall, making stops in San Francisco and Los Angeles. In addition to the blimp, CDW is celebrating its 15th anniversary with special activities and promotions to recognize customers, coworkers and the community. The company is sponsoring the inaugural CDW Community Dash & Bash on October 10 -- a 5K run, 1-mile walk and festival in Vernon Hills. The event will benefit Lambs Farm, a non-profit residential community for the developmentally disabled. As a part of its anniversary celebration, CDW will say 'thank you' to customers with computer giveaways and promotions on the company's Web site, www.cdw.com, and in its two Chicagoland showrooms. Additionally, CDW's coworkers will be honored with a special celebration on June 18, the company's 15th anniversary date, and with the fall grand opening of CDW@Play, an on-site fitness and childcare facility. Compaq Computer Corporation (NYSE: CPQ), Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE: HWP), IBM Corporation (NYSE: IBM) and Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) are sponsors of CDW's East Coast blimp activities. The blimp used for the CDW tour is owned and operated by the Lightship Group in Orlando, Fla. For more information on blimp sightings and special promotions visit www.cdw.com/blimp. About CDW CDW® (NASDAQ: CDWC) is the country's leading direct solutions provider, offering complete, customized computing solutions for businesses and consumers nationwide. With competitive prices on a selection of thousands of brand name computer products, CDW is the No. 1 authorized direct source of Compaq, Computer Associates, IBM, Microsoft, Toshiba and other top name brands. Celebrating its 15th anniversary year, CDW was founded in 1984 as a one-man, home-based business and today employs more than 1,500 coworkers whose efforts generated net sales of $1.9 billion for the trailing twelve months ended March 31, 1999. CDW's pioneering direct model offers personalized expertise through one-on-one relationships with highly-trained, knowledgeable account managers; telephone and online purchasing; custom configured solutions; customized financing solutions; next day shipping; and lifetime phone and online technical support, with more than 60 factory-trained and A+ certified technicians on staff. For more information About CDW's products and services, call 800-797-4239 or visit the award-winning e-commerce Web site at www.cdw.com. For media inquiries or general company information, please call CDW's media relations at 888-CDW-7040.