Source: DaimlerChrysler, Joe Wilssens photo

"As we prepare to enter the new millennium, we want to make sure our methods for communicating with shareholders and the investment community remain on the cutting edge," said William Clay Ford, Jr., who will preside over his first annual meeting as chairman of Ford Motor Company on May 13. "Using the Internet as a tool to reach a broader audience is part of this commitment, and with the way technology is moving, there may come a day when our annual meeting is conducted solely in cyberspace."

The webcast of the Ford Motor Company annual meeting will be available through a link from the Ford Motor Company homepage, http://www.ford.com, and also through broadcast.com.

Lincoln's name will be recognized in the Dralion logo, which will be used in all advertising, promotional and public relations efforts to support the U.S. portion of the North American tour, which kicks off in Santa Monica this September. Lincoln also will have an extensive on-site presence including vehicle displays, signage and advertising.

"The Cirque du Soleil property is visually stimulating, representing a unique experience for consumers," says Michael Hughes, president, Wunderman Cato Johnson Irvine, Lincoln Mercury's event marketing company. "This presenting sponsorship was identified as a perfect fit with the active and unexpected personality of Lincoln's much-anticipated foray into the luxury sport sedan market."

Cirque du Soleil was created in 1984 in Quebec and is currently based in Montreal. Since its inception, Cirque du Soleil shows have been performed for more than 17 million people in 120 cities worldwide. Cirque du Soleil uses no animals but rather a mix of circus arts and street entertainment using wild costumes, dramatic lighting and original music.