CLEVELAND, May 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. (NYSE: CLF) (Paris: CLF) today announced the launch of a multi-language, international corporate advertising campaign dubbed "Together. It Starts Here." The campaign commemorates the completion of Cliffs' approximately C$4.9 billion (including net debt) acquisition of Consolidated Thompson Iron Mines Limited with a broad-reaching placement schedule including full-page and digital advertisements in the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, The Globe and Mail, The West Australian, Chutian Dushi Bao (the daily newspaper in Wuhan, China) and other business and trade media outlets.  The acquisition was announced in January and closed on May 12, 2011.

(Photo: https://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110516/CL02589 )

(Logo: https://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101104/CLIFFSLOGO )

The advertisements feature a dramatic photo of two identical mining trucks, one bearing the Cliffs logo and the other bearing the Consolidated Thompson logo. The advertising campaign is designed to reinforce Cliffs' brand as a growing, dynamic global industrial company supplying raw materials to steelmakers around the world and the advertisement features the ad copy:  

Here is where steel starts. Here is where Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. furthers its position among the world's top ten iron ore producers. Here is where acquiring Consolidated Thompson Iron Mines Limited boosts Cliffs' capacity to help meet the burgeoning demand for steel everywhere. Together. It starts here.

In recent years Cliffs has acquired coal mines, chromite deposits and additional iron ore deposits in North America, South America and Asia. Each of these minerals are used in steelmaking and have seen significant price increases in recent years as China and other developing countries use them in connection with the modernization of their societies.    

"Consolidated Thompson fits well within Cliffs Natural Resources' strategy to build scale by owning expandable and exportable steelmaking raw material assets serving international markets," said Steve Baisden, Cliffs' vice president, investor relations and communications. "This campaign helps demonstrate to our stakeholders that Cliffs is a company on the move and that we are keenly aware of the future growth drivers of our business."

About Cliffs Natural Resources Inc.

Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. is an international mining and natural resources company. A member of the S&P 500 Index, the Company is a major global iron ore producer and a significant producer of high- and low-volatile metallurgical coal. Cliffs' strategy is to continually achieve greater scale and diversification in the mining industry through a focus on serving the world's largest and fastest growing steel markets. Driven by the core values of social, environmental and capital stewardship, Cliffs associates across the globe endeavor to provide all stakeholders operating and financial transparency.

The Company is organized through a global commercial group responsible for sales and delivery of Cliffs products and a global operations group responsible for the production of the minerals the Company markets. Cliffs operates iron ore and coal mines in North America and two iron ore mining complexes in Western Australia. The Company also has a 45% economic interest in a coking and thermal coal mine in Queensland, Australia. In addition, Cliffs has a major chromite project, in the pre-feasibility stage of development, located in Ontario, Canada.

News releases and other information on the Company are available on the Internet at:

http://www.cliffsnaturalresources.com

Follow Cliffs on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/CliffsIR

SOURCE Cliffs Natural Resources Inc.