Americans Choose Designated Drivers ... Sing 'I'm Your Vehicle, Baby'

Americans Choose Designated Drivers ... Sing 'I'm Your Vehicle, Baby'

Anheuser-Busch Remakes 1970's Classic Tune and Releases Poll to Drive Home Importance of Designated Drivers During Holidays

ST. LOUIS, Dec. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- While time-honored songs such as "Jingle Bells" and "Deck the Halls" help get everyone into the holiday spirit, it's "Vehicle" that will help designated drivers get into the groove as they hit the roads this holiday season. According to a recent survey conducted by Nielsen Media Research for Anheuser-Busch, 154 million American adults will be doing the "ride thing" and cruising in style with a designated driver during the holidays.

To recognize their great support of this life-saving practice, Anheuser- Busch is taking to the airwaves with a remake of the popular Ides of March song "Vehicle." First released in 1970, the song, popularized more recently when American Idol's Bo Bice sang it as part of the televised talent competition, will air on local radio stations throughout the country. Anheuser-Busch's remake salutes America's designated drivers who have been a "Bud" for their friends and families by getting everyone home safely.

"The concept of the designated driver has truly become part of our culture over the past two decades," said Carol Clark, vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility for Anheuser-Busch. "The holidays are a great time to celebrate with our family and friends by choosing designated drivers before the parties start and helping each other stay safe."

The survey also showed that promoting responsibility -- including the use of designated drivers -- was found to be widely employed at office holiday parties. In fact, 61 percent of Americans say their employer encourages the use of designated drivers at these work functions. But, singing karaoke at these parties ... even "Vehicle" ... won't get you that promotion. Sixty-nine percent of employees said the best way to impress the boss is by being the designated driver, rather than belting out "Jingle Bells," break dancing, or winning the appetizer-eating contest.

In addition, results showed that more than seven in 10 American adults (72 percent) have either been or used a designated driver and nearly all Americans -- an astounding 93 percent -- believe designated drivers are an excellent or good way to help reduce drunk driving.

Additional survey results include:

-- 97 percent of American adults have heard of the designated driver
concept.
-- Approximately two-thirds of Americans (66 percent) have been a
designated driver at least once.
-- 69 percent of Americans describe their designated driver as
"responsible."
-- 72 percent of employees say their employers offer plenty of food at
office parties as one more way to help employees get home safely.

Thanks in part to increased awareness of the importance of designated drivers and strong law enforcement, drunk-driving fatalities nationwide continue to decline. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports drunk-driving fatalities have decreased 36 percent since 1982, including a 30 percent decline in Christmas holiday drunk-driving fatalities.

As a way to recognize those who are helping keep the roadways safe, adults can thank their designated drivers by visiting http://www.whosyourbud.com/ to send an electronic "thank you." While on the web site, visitors can also listen to or download the new remake of "Vehicle." In addition, Anheuser-Busch will be placing print ads in a number of national publications, including Newsweek, People, Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated, TIME, USA Today and U.S. News & World Report, to reinforce the designated driver message.

The designated driver poll was conducted Aug. 17-23, 2007, using random digit dialing procedures. The findings were based on telephone interviews with a representative sample of more than 1,000 Americans, ages 21 and older. To see the full survey results, visit http://www.alcoholstats.com/.

Anheuser-Busch and its nationwide network of wholesalers have invested more than $675 million since 1982 in community-based programs and national advertising campaigns to promote responsibility and discourage alcohol abuse, including underage drinking and drunk driving. Since 1989, the company and its wholesalers, through various cab and shuttle programs, have provided more than one million safe rides home.

In 2007, for the fourth year in a row, Anheuser-Busch ranked first in the beverage industry for social responsibility in FORTUNE magazine's "America's Most Admired Companies" and "Global Most Admired Companies." For more information about Anheuser-Busch's responsible drinking programs, visit http://www.beeresponsible.com/.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Anheuser-Busch

CONTACT: Sara Geisner, +1-314-765-6790, sara.geisner@anheuser-busch.com,
or Brian Leake, +1-314-765-7912, brian.leake@anheuser-busch.com, both of
Anheuser-Busch

Web site: http://www.whosyourbud.com/
http://www.alcoholstats.com/
http://www.beeresponsible.com/

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