FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Elizabeth Eckel, SVP Marketing, 401-348-1309
DATE: October 18, 2004

Washington Trust Advertising Campaign Wins National Marketing Award

Westerly, Rhode Island... The Washington Trust Company recently received a Certificate of Excellence Award from the American Bankers Association's (ABA) 2004 Advertising Awards Competition. The award was given for creative excellence for the Bank's "Put us on the list" business banking marketing campaign which ran in 2003.

"We are honored to receive this award from the ABA," said John C. Warren, Washington Trust Chairman and Chief Executive Officer." "This competition is considered the premier marketing competition for the financial services industry."

The awards were announced at a recent ABA Marketing Conference held in Scottsdale, Arizona. Washington Trust was one of 48 financial institutions in a field of 485 entries to receive an award. A panel of financial services marketing and advertising professionals judged the entries based on the originality of creative concept, execution of production and fulfillment of stated objective.

The "Put us on the list" campaign ran in 2003 and promoted Washington Trust as one of Rhode Island's leading business banks and positioned Washington Trust as an alternative to the area's "mega banks." The advertising featured a yellow "sticky" note listing Washington Trust and its three major competitors, with a check mark next to Washington Trust's name.

Body copy highlighted key products in the Bank's suite of business services, such as multi-million dollar commercial loans and commercial real estate loans, international banking and cash management services. The message clearly stated that Washington Trust offers a full range of business banking products and services that stand up to those offered by its largest competitors - Fleet, Sovereign and Citizens - plus the value of a 200+ year reputation for excellent customer service.

The multimedia campaign, which included television, print, radio, outdoor and direct mail was created in conjunction with the Bank's advertising agency, Walsh & Associates of East Greenwich, R.I.

The Washington Trust Company is the largest independent bank headquartered in Rhode Island. A state-chartered bank, Washington Trust offers a full range of financial services, including trust and investment management, through its 16 branch offices located in Rhode Island and southeastern Connecticut. Founded in 1800, the Bank is a subsidiary of Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc., whose common stock trades on The NASDAQ Stock Market® under the symbol WASH. Web site address: www.washtrust.com.