AEP TO LAUNCH CORPORATE POSITIONING CAMPAIGN FEATURING CIRQUE DU SOLEIL Innovative Campaign Focused on Strength, Flexibility and Experience Reflects Company’s Transformation Into A Diversified Energy Leader

COLUMBUS, Ohio, March 4, 2002 - American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), a leading diversified energy company and America’s largest generator of electricity, today announced it has launched an innovative new corporate positioning campaign centered on a sponsorship of Cirque du Soleil, the internationally renowned live entertainment group.

The campaign, launched on March 3, reflects the culmination of the company’s multi-year transformation from a regionally focused traditional electric utility to a diversified energy leader with a balanced portfolio of energy assets: mining and fuel procurement, coal and natural gas transportation and storage, power generation from a wide variety of fuels, wholesale energy commodity marketing, and energy delivery to approximately 5 million U.S. customers linked to AEP’s wires.

AEP will be an official sponsor of all four of Cirque du Soleil’s 2002 North American Tours, including Dralion, Quidam and Alegria. Both the advertising and sponsorship programs are part of a corporate branding campaign the company launched in early March.

The corporate advertising campaign, which will run in major business publications, selected regional and energy trade publications and on targeted Internet sites over the next 10 months, features striking visuals of Cirque du Soleil performers that illustrate AEP attributes such as strength, flexibility, teamwork, integration and balance.

Digitas, a leading marketing and technology services firm that specializes in direct marketing and advertising, developed the campaign.

“Over the past five years, we have transformed AEP into an asset-rich energy company with a world-class wholesale energy business complemented by our excellent energy delivery operations,” said E. Linn Draper Jr., AEP’s chairman, president and chief executive officer. “Our balanced portfolio of energy assets and industry-leading technical expertise are producing strong cash flow, solid returns for our shareholders and quality service for our customers. The objective of this corporate campaign is to raise AEP’s profile and help the company gain recognition among its key financial audiences and other constituencies for the transformation from a leading electric utility to a leading diversified energy company.”

“We believe the campaign’s originality will reflect AEP’s position as a unique energy player,” said Chip Reingold, group creative director of Digitas. “Another distinctive aspect of this marketing effort is the integration of the Cirque du Soleil sponsorship and the positioning campaign. Many companies typically have distinct event strategies that are not integrated with their overall marketing focus - an approach that can be limiting from an overall strategic perspective. AEP is leveraging the Cirque du Soleil partnership as the strategic underpinning of a total integrated marketing plan to fully utilize the sponsorship investment.”

"We´re really proud that AEP has decided to put us at the center of their repositioning campaign," said Mario D´Amico, vice president of marketing at Cirque du Soleil. "While our companies have decidedly different focuses, it´s clear we share similar strengths and ideals. I know that I speak for everyone at Cirque du Soleil when I say we´re very excited about this relationship."

Since its creation in 1984, Cirque du Soleil has thrilled nearly 33 million spectators in over 130 cities on four continents. The organization, which has its International Headquarters in Montreal, has received such prestigious awards as the Emmy, Drama Desk, Bambi, Gémeaux, and Félix, as well as the Rose d´Or de Montreux. In 2002, Cirque du Soleil will launch a new production in Montreal, while simultaneously presenting Quidam (on tour in the United States) Alegría (on tour in the Asia-Pacific region), Mystère (in Las Vegas), "O" (in Las Vegas), La Nouba (at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando), and Saltimbanco (on tour in Europe). With its boldly original performances, Cirque du Soleil has never ceased to challenge the very limits of the human body and spirit.