Sprint and Nextel today announced details surrounding the brand strategy and logo to be used upon completion of the companies' merger, expected in the third quarter of 2005, pending shareholder and regulatory approvals. The new go-to-market brand name of the combined Sprint Nextel will be Sprint, with the Nextel name continuing as a key product brand.

The two companies announced their agreement to merge on Dec. 15, 2004, with a commitment to create America's premier communications company - offering a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline services to consumer, business and government customers.

"The companies are in the enviable position of possessing two incredibly valuable brands with overwhelming positive and powerful equity in the marketplace," said Mark Schweitzer, designated Chief Marketing Officer for the new company and Nextel's current senior vice president of marketing. "Our brand strategy and logo will integrate the most valuable assets of each company's identity."

The Sprint Master Brand

Given its broad market awareness and its history of innovation, the Sprint name was chosen as the lead go-to-market brand name for the new company. Combining the rich attributes of the Sprint brand with the entrepreneurial, instant-communications traits represented by highlighting Nextel's presence in the product line offers strong positioning for the combined company. This approach was validated through consultation with research firms specializing in brand and name recognition, and with customers and employees, confirming Sprint's consistent ratings as one of the most recognized communications brands in the United States. "The Sprint name, brand attributes and the sentiment they evoke in minds of consumers are relevant today and provide a great foundation for the future. The combination of these characteristics of the Sprint name with the infusion of Nextel's professional-grade characteristics and key elements of the Nextel visual identity are consistent with what the new company aspires to be in the future," said Schweitzer.

Nextel as a Product Brand

Nextel, which currently enjoys among the highest loyalty ratings with customers in the wireless industry, is synonymous with wireless business-oriented products and services such as Nextel's instant, nationwide, digital walkie-talkie service. The combined company will employ the Nextel name as a product brand within the Sprint service portfolio for services provided on Nextel's iDEN network. Solutions carrying the Nextel brand will be geared toward selected businesses, public-sector customers and those high-value individuals who have proven to be avid users of Nextel services.

The New Logo

Blending elements of Sprint's signature "pin drop" - representing clarity - and Nextel's bold yellow and black colors - which command attention - the new logo is a powerful symbol for the new Sprint as a forward-moving, energetic and dynamic brand. Additionally, in advertising, the new Sprint visual treatment will include the line, "Together with Nextel," as a reminder of the equity of these two strong brands coming together as one. Separately, in advertising featuring Nextel products and services in the combined company's markets, there will be a Nextel visual treatment that uses the current Nextel logo with the language "Together with Sprint."

NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series

The new company will be committed to its partnership with NASCAR and its more than 75 million fans. The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series will maintain its current series branding through 2006, and decisions regarding the series name and branding beyond that season are expected to be made prior to the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series season opener in 2006.