EXHIBIT 99.1

SIMON FILES SUIT AND IS NAMED AS A DEFENDANT

     WAKEFIELD, Mass., Oct. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Simon Worldwide, Inc. (Nasdaq:
SWWI) announced that its subsidiary Simon Marketing, Inc. (SMI) has filed suit
against McDonald's Corporation in California Superior Court for the County of
Los Angeles. Simon Worldwide also announced that it and SMI were named as
defendants, along with Jerome P. Jacobson, a former employee of SMI, and certain
other individuals unrelated to Simon Worldwide or SMI, in a complaint filed by
McDonald's Corporation in the United States District Court for the Northern
District of Illinois.

     The complaint filed by SMI seeks to recover damages resulting from the
termination of SMI's relationship with McDonald's Corporation. The McDonald's
Corporation complaint alleges that SMI has engaged in fraud, breach of
contract, breach of fiduciary obligations and civil conspiracy and alleges that
McDonald's Corporation is entitled to indemnification and damages of an
unspecified amount. The McDonald's Corporation lawsuit arises from the
allegedly fraudulent actions of Mr. Jacobson and the other named individuals
unrelated to SMI in connection with the McDonald's promotional games
administered by SMI. Simon intends to vigorously defend itself against the
allegations of the complaint but is unable to predict the outcome of the suit,
or of its suit against McDonald's Corporation, and the ultimate effect of the
suits, if any, on the financial condition of Simon Worldwide or SMI.

     For further information, please contact Chris Lehane at 202.549.5911.

     About Simon Worldwide, Inc.
     Simon Worldwide is a diversified marketing and promotion agency with
offices throughout North America, Europe and Asia. The company has worked with
some the largest and best-know brands in the world and has been involved with
some of the most successful consumer promotional campaigns in history. Through
its wholly owned subsidiary, Simon Marketing, Inc., the company provides
promotional agency services and integrated marketing solutions including loyalty
marketing, strategic and calendar planning, game design and execution, premium
development, and production management. Simon is also one of the world's
largest creators, developers and procurers of promotional games and toys. The
company was founded in 1976.

     The press release contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning
of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1955). These statements
include statements regarding intent, belief or current expectations of the
Company and its management. You are cautioned that any such forward-looking
statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and
uncertainties that may cause the Company's actual results of differ materially
from the Company's expectations. Factors that could cause actual results to
differ materially are discussed in Exhibit 99.1 to the Company's Second Quarter
2001 Report on Form 10-Q. Reference to this Cautionary Statement or Exhibit
99.1 in the context of a forward-looking statement or statements shall be
deemed to be a statement that any one or more of these factors may cause actual
results to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking
statement or statements.