SANTA CLARA, Calif., May 3, 2004 - Silicon Valley Bank, the primary subsidiary of Silicon Valley Bancshares (Nasdaq: SIVB), announced today the launch of a print advertising campaign that acts as the external centerpiece of the company's overall brand campaign. The advertisements use the headline "We Know People" to reflect Silicon Valley Bank's unique capabilities as well as to describe its vast network of clients and partners in the technology, life science and private equity markets.

Designed to reintroduce and update perceptions about SVB, the ad campaign will feature the company's international expertise and network, its M&A and distribution services, and its ability to serve technology and life science companies through all stages of growth and liquidity."Extensive national research to clearly define the SVB brand, timed with the evolution of our corporate strategy, makes this the perfect time to re-introduce Silicon Valley Bank to our clients, partners and prospects. We've learned that clients and employees come to and stay with SVB because of who we are and the way we do business," said Marc Verissimo, chief strategy and risk officer, Silicon Valley Bank.

"We are a different kind of financial services company and a lot has changed at SVB since we started serving the technology industry more than 20 years ago. It's important for people to know that SVB has the capacity to work with companies of any size, not just emerging start-ups and our services go well beyond traditional commercial banking. We want to help our constituents understand who we are in addition to what we do, and to think of us in a new and accurate way. Our branding initiative and in particular, this ad campaign, will help us do that."

Simple, conversational copy supported by sophisticated photography is the dominant aspect of the "We Know People" campaign, with five ads showcasing scenes from Shanghai, China and Agra, India among others. Each ad is designed to reflect the expansive network and in-house capabilities Silicon Valley Bank leverages on behalf of its technology-focused clientele. Beginning in May, Silicon Valley Bank will run the print advertisements in some of the most influential newspapers and magazines targeting C-level executives at technology, life science and private equity companies, including BusinessWeek, The Economist, Fortune, Harvard Business Review, Private Equity Analyst, The San Jose Mercury News, Silicon Valley Business Ink and The Wall Street Journal. Full-page ads will appear in newspapers and two-page spreads will appear in magazines. The complete campaign will be available on www.svb.com.

In conjunction with the ad campaign, which will run through July, SVB is introducing a new tagline that evolved from its branding research and reflects SVB's key attributes and its unique, enterprising approach to business, "Nothing we'd rather be doing." The tagline will be incorporated in all of SVB's marketing materials, including the ad campaign and SVB's redesigned Web site. In partnership with Silicon Valley Bank's in-house marketing team led by Jane Lodato, Chris Riley, former head of global planning for Weiden & Kennedy and now of Studioriley of Portland, Oregon, led the branding research. Eleven Inc. of San Francisco, California executed the creative strategy.

About Silicon Valley Bank
Silicon Valley Bank provides diversified financial services to emerging growth and mature companies in the technology, life sciences and private equity markets, as well as the premium wine industry. Through its focus on specialized markets and extensive knowledge of the people and business issues driving them, Silicon Valley Bank provides a level of service and partnership that measurably impacts its clients' success. Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., the company serves more than 9,500 clients across the country through 26 regional offices. More information on the company can be found at www.svb.com.