BOSTON, Oct. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- John Hancock Annuities won two "Best in Show" awards from the Insurance & Financial Communicators Association (IFCA), presented at IFCA's Annual Meeting in Dallas, Texas, earlier this month. IFCA gave the top awards to John Hancock Annuities' advisor web site and to the John Hancock Venture Variable Annuity Sales Kit.

John Hancock Annuities also won "Awards of Excellence" for its public web site, and for the "It's About Time" marketing campaign highlighting the web site. In addition, IFCA awarded Honorable Mentions to John Hancock Annuities for the "Play Ball" campaign designed for Morgan Stanley advisors, and for support materials prepared for Raymond James' national sales meeting.

The IFCA awards mark the second time this year that John Hancock's variable annuity literature and online marketing programs were recognized for excellence. Both were previously recognized by the Insurance Marketing Communications Association (IMCA).

"We join IFCA in congratulating our marketing team for producing such excellent materials, and recognize them for their hard work and dedication," said Marc Costantini, President, John Hancock Annuities. "These awards reflect John Hancock's ongoing efforts to produce clear and concise marketing tools and literature, making our products and their benefits easier to understand and more accessible."

Tom Mullen, Vice President of marketing for John Hancock Annuities, said: "Recognizing that consumers purchase our annuities from financial advisors, we focus on delivering tools that can help advisors evaluate and demonstrate how variable annuities may work effectively within the overall context of the retirement strategies they craft for their clients. It is very rewarding to know that industry peer groups such as IFCA recognize our efforts."

About IFCA

The Insurance & Financial Communicators Association is an international organization dedicated to the ongoing professional development of its members in life insurance and related financial services communications. For more information, please visit www.ifcaonline.com.

About John Hancock Financial and Manulife Financial

John Hancock Financial is a unit of Manulife Financial Corporation (the Company), a leading Canadian-based financial services group serving millions of customers in 19 countries and territories worldwide. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and in most of Asia, and primarily as John Hancock Financial in the United States, the Company offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were Cdn$410 billion (US$386 billion) as at June 30, 2007.

Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '0945' on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at www.manulife.com.

The John Hancock Financial unit, through its insurance companies, comprises one of the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock Financial offers a broad range of financial products and services, including life insurance, fixed and variable annuities, mutual funds, 401(k) plans, long term care insurance, college savings, and other forms of business insurance.

John Hancock Financial's primary insurance subsidiaries carry the highest -- "AAA" -- financial strength rating from Standard & Poor's Ratings Services.

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Source: John Hancock Retirement Plan Services

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