WU Western Union Company

The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU), a leader in global payments, today launched Western Union® Singing Telegram(SM), a new interactive online platform that allows consumers to create a personalized music video and virtual duet with international recording artists, in a collaboration with K'naan, Snoop Dogg, Sunidhi Chauhan and Timbaland.

The interactive online platform, www.wu-singingtelegram.com, enables consumers to emotionally connect with their loved ones when sending money and creates a digital singing telegram for music and tech lovers to perform virtually with a recording artist, and then send the video to friends and family. Consumers can create a singing telegram and select songs recorded by each performer.

How It Works To create a singing telegram, consumers should visit www.wu-singingtelegram.com or www.westernunion.com. Site users upload a photo of their face, select gender, and then pick an artist and song to sing along with the performer using lyrics streamed on the screen. Users can then review and watch their digitized performance with their face and voice on a human avatar, and then share their personalized duet via social networks with their family, loved ones and friends.

Highlights

• Mega-producer Timbaland performing "This Lady" and "Drummer Boy," as the first holiday song of his career, available Nov. 30
• Somali-born musician K'naan singing "Happy Birthday" and "Leaving on a Jet Plane," available Nov. 30
• Bollywood's most famous contemporary singer Sunidhi Chauhan performing "Call Me" and "Valentine" as her first songs in English, available Dec. 5
• 13-time Grammy-nominated hip-hop artist Snoop Dogg performing "Pretty Woman" and "Life of the Party," available Dec. 17

Key Quotes

• "The Western Union Singing Telegram service creates a new way for consumers around the world to show their loved ones they care about them when sending the gift of cash this holiday season. The singing telegram is a natural fit for us to help consumers around the world virtually connect with their family and friends, giving them the gift of music, their personal image and voice, to make their day better," said Diane Scott, chief marketing officer, and president, Western Union Ventures.
• "Our enthusiastic involvement in the Western Union Singing Telegram campaign, spearheaded by our partner Venus Brown and Stone Buddah Music, best exemplifies BMG's desire to be at the cutting edge of new business opportunities working with leaders in their industry like Western Union," said Richard Blackstone, chief creative officer, BMG North America. "Venus' entrepreneurial instincts, married with Western Union's desire to provide the richest form of engagement for their customers, enabled this opportunity to create a groundbreaking music-driven, enhanced product."

Tags/Keywords Western Union, Western Union Singing Telegram, www.wu-singingtelegram.com. #WUSingingTelegram, Western Union World of Betters, www.worldofbetters.com.

Further information To learn more about Western Union Singing Telegram and create a virtual duet, visit www.wu-singingtelegram.com or search #WUSingingTelegram.

About Moving Money for Better Western Union Singing Telegram service and Western Union World of Betters recently launched as two programs of many that align under "Moving Money for Better" branding concepts, focused on Western Union® products and services as solutions to create 'moments of better'. While sustaining the company's 160-year history of innovation and helping people improve lives, and connecting individuals and families around the world, the new branding elements depict visual timelines that invite consumers to be a part of the worldwide campaign.

Western Union launched World of Betters to help raise awareness on the many ways we can make someone's day better. Eligible participants should visit www.worldofbetters.com and upload their entry of no more than 100 words describing how they would use US$1,000 to make the world a better place. To learn more about Western Union World of Betters contest and tune in to live events, visit www.worldofbetters.com.

About Western Union The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a leader in global payment services. Together with its Vigo, Orlandi Valuta, Pago Facil and Western Union Business Solutions branded payment services, Western Union provides consumers and businesses with fast, reliable and convenient ways to send and receive money around the world, to send payments and to purchase money orders. As of September 30, 2011, the Western Union, Vigo and Orlandi Valuta branded services were offered through a combined network of approximately 485,000 Agent locations in 200 countries and territories. In 2010, The Western Union Company completed 214 million consumer-to-consumer transactions worldwide, moving $76 billion of principal between consumers, and 405 million business payments. For more information, visit www.westernunion.com. WU-G

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Media Contacts: Dan Diaz Western Union + 1 (303) 547-2347 Email Contact L'Teisha Ryan Western Union +1 (303) 478-9029 Email Contact