Diageo Launches Crown Royal Social Responsibility Advertising in Support of Kurt Busch Sponsorship

Diageo Launches Crown Royal Social Responsibility Advertising in Support of Kurt Busch Sponsorship

First NASCAR-Themed Spirits Television Commercial Features Responsibility and the No. 97 Crown Royal Nextel Cup Entry

STAMFORD, Conn., Feb. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Diageo, the world's leading premium drinks business, unveiled a new dedicated social responsibility national television commercial today highlighting its Crown Royal brand's inaugural sponsorship of reigning Nextel Cup champion Kurt Busch and Roush Racing's No. 97 race team. This marks the first NASCAR-themed spirits television ad since NASCAR announced it was allowing spirits companies to sponsor race teams.

Titled "Pace Car," the execution features the No. 97 Ford Taurus leading a fleet of automobiles in pace car formation through winding rural, suburban and city streets, eventually ending at a racetrack. The ad is punctuated with a voice over declaring, "Pacing is everything, especially when drinking," and closes with the brand's social responsibility tagline, "Be a Champion. Drink Responsibly."

The creative, from Grey Worldwide New York, highlights Crown Royal's commitment to create an integrated social responsibility platform around their Roush Racing sponsorship. The 30-second ad is slated to air on national cable outlets. The ad will be further supported with a multi-tiered marketing platform including on- and off-premise point of sale materials, radio and out-of-home advertising and a public relations program all centered on the responsible consumption of beverage alcohol.

"Our association with proven champions like Kurt Busch and Roush Racing offers Crown Royal a great opportunity to remind devoted adult NASCAR fans about the importance of responsible drinking," said Jerry Knight, Brand Director, Crown Royal. "The responsible consumption of our products will be the core theme throughout our entire Crown Royal sponsorship."

Diageo's sponsorship of Kurt Busch and the No. 97 race team was built around the company's existing relationship with Roush Racing, one of the premier racing teams in all of motor sports with over 280 wins and 30 championships. In 2003 and 2004, Smirnoff ICE partnered with Roush Racing as an associate sponsor of the No.17 car, driven by Matt Kenseth, who won the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Championship.

Crown Royal's integrated motor sports marketing plan will include primary sponsorship of the No. 97 Ford at select races during the 2005 season. When Crown Royal is not a primary sponsor, the brand will support Kurt as an associate sponsor of the No. 97 Sharpie and Irwin Industrial Tools entries throughout the 2005 season. Crown Royal will also continue to engage race fans across the country with its 2005 title sponsorship of the Crown Royal International Race of Champions (IROC) series.

About Roush Racing

Roush Racing is a subsidiary of Livonia, Mich., based Roush Industries that operates 10 motorsports teams; five in NASCAR Nextel Cup with drivers Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards, three in the Busch Series with Martin, Kenseth and Edwards, and two in the Craftsman Truck Series with drivers Ricky Craven and Todd Kluever. For more information on Roush Racing, visit http://www.roushracing.com/.

About Crown Royal

Crown Royal, the number one selling Canadian Whisky, has a tradition as long and distinctive as its taste. Specially blended to commemorate a grand tour of Canada made by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain in 1939, Crown Royal's smooth, elegant style reflects its aristocratic origins and is considered the epitome of Canadian whisky. In addition to its sponsorship of the Crown Royal IROC Series, Doran Racing's No. 77 car and the No. 97 Nextel Cup Team, the brand also sponsors The Crown Royal Comedy Soul Fest and a number of other major regional and national events. For more information on Crown Royal, visit http://www.crownroyal.com/.

About Diageo

Diageo (Dee-AH-Gee-O) is the world's leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines, and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines.

Diageo is a global company, trading in more than 200 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at http://www.diageo.com/.

Celebrating life, every day, everywhere, responsibly.

CONTACT: Jessica McPhee Mike Costabile
Diageo Alan Taylor Communications
646-522-4847 212-714-1280



Source: Diageo

CONTACT: Jessica McPhee of Diageo, +1-646-522-4847, Mike Costabile of
Alan Taylor Communications, +1-212-714-1280, for Diageo

Web site: http://www.diageo.com/
http://www.crownroyal.com/
http://www.roushracing.com/


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