Press Release

ENRON UNVEILS NEW ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN AND LOGO; GEARS UP TO TACKLE CHALLENGES IN CHANGING ENERGY INDUSTRY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, January 14, 1997

HOUSTON -- Anticipating the opening of the retail electricity market and in an effort to reach customers worldwide in the rapidly changing energy industry, Enron today unveiled a new advertising campaign and company logo. The company's first ever branding campaign will feature customers and their stories from around the world in both print and television executions. One spot features the people of the town of Peterborough, New Hampshire, one of the first deregulated markets, who took the unusual step of "shopping for a new energy company" and selected Enron.

"This could be one of the most memorable days at Enron since the company was created almost twelve years ago," Kenneth L. Lay, chairman and CEO of Enron said. "We are clearly defining ourselves for all our customers. With the deregulation of natural gas and electricity and the convergence of these markets, customers from homeowners to large industrials will have more choices, better products and lower prices. This new advertising campaign and logo will begin to inform people around the world of who Enron is, and how we can help them make decisions to improve their businesses and their lives."

The ads were screened for the first time by Enron employees and the media in Houston at a "star-studded Hollywood premier," featuring Whoopi Goldberg, Elizabeth Taylor and "Rocky" look-a-likes, a paparazzi of cameras, searchlights and fireworks. The ads will begin airing Super Bowl Sunday in selective markets and soon after nationally and internationally on television and in newspapers and magazines.

"An annual $200 billion electricity market will be opening up over the next few years," said Jeffrey K. Skilling, president and COO of Enron. "Enron wants the privilege to compete for those customers, both large and small. This exciting new ad campaign will initiate the process to take Enron from being one of the least well-known large companies, to joining McDonalds, Coca-Cola and American Express as one of the most recognized names in the world."

The advertising campaign was created by the New York office of Ogilvy & Mather and transferred to its sister WPP Group plc agency, Conquest, on January 1. Conquest will provide a wide range of communications services for Enron from corporate advertising to collateral materials to multi-media vehicles.

Along with the advertising campaign, a new company logo was unveiled at the extravaganza. The late Paul Rand, one of the world's premier creators of corporate identities, developed the multi-colored "E," which will be featured on Enron corporate and operating companies' material from stationary to pipelines. Rand's client list included logos for IBM, Westinghouse, ABC, and United Parcel Service. The new Enron logo was the last developed by Rand before his death last year.

Enron, one of the world's largest integrated natural gas and electricity companies with approximately $15 billion in assets, operates one of the largest natural gas transmission systems in the world; is the largest purchaser and marketer of natural gas and the largest non-regulated marketer of electricity in North America; markets natural gas liquids worldwide; manages the largest portfolio of fixed-price natural gas risk management contracts in the world; is among the leading entities arranging new capital to the energy industry; owns a majority interest in Enron Oil & Gas Company, one of the largest independent (non-integrated) exploration and production companies in the United States; owns a majority interest in Enron Global Power & Pipelines L.L.C., which is owner and manager of operating power plants and natural gas pipelines around the world; and is one of the largest independent developers and producers of electricity in the world. Enron is traded under the ticker symbol, "ENE."

For additional information please contact:

Diane Bazelides

(713) 853-6285