Thursday, September 20, 2007


DEERFIELD, Ill., Sep. 20, 2007 (Business Wire) -- Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc. a unit of Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE:FO), and Hornitos(TM) Tequila, a member of the Sauza(R) family, today unveiled the brand's most aggressive advertising and re-positioning campaign in years, supported with a $15 million marketing spend. Hornitos, originally available as a reposado tequila, has unveiled two additional variants - Hornitos Plata and Hornitos Anejo. Supporting the new variants is a unique advertising and positioning campaign dubbed 'The Fine Line of Tequila,' which emphasizes the exhilaration that comes from having two forces, seemingly at odds, combine to deliver the perfect combination. This position is intimately linked to the brand and was born from the fact that Hornitos delivers all the tequila edge with a smoothness not expected from tequila.

With the addition of two new variants, Hornitos has introduced its sip, shoot, and savor strategy, in direct response to an evolving category and consumer demand for a Hornitos variant for all consumption occasions. Sip, shoot, and savor educates consumers on the diversity of tequila, where Hornitos(TM) Plata is versatile enough for mixed drinks, Hornitos (TM) Reposado can be enjoyed as a shot, and the more complex notes of Hornitos(TM) Anejo are slowly savored. The all-encompassing campaign has been developed to surround the consumer in an experiential way, and includes online, print, radio, and out of home advertising, new packaging, new variants, new POS materials and 'Fine Line' launch parties in key cities.

'This re-launch, coupled with our targeted advertising and unique and intriguing 'Fine Line' campaign, represents a defining milestone for Hornitos,' said Sheryl Rosenberger, senior brand manager, Sauza. 'Our team has invested significant resources behind both this brand and this campaign and we are proud and excited to continue playing a leading role in the tequila category's evolution and growth. We are confident that the comprehensive elements of our 'Fine Line' campaign will lead to increased visibility and consumer engagement for Hornitos, especially as consumers continue to trade up from the standard tequila segment. At the same time, this campaign sends a message to consumers that there is no fine line that exists when consuming alcohol, and reminds them to enjoy Hornitos responsibly,' continued Rosenberger.

The 'Fine Line' campaign is driven by the Hornitos manifesto, which plays off of the notion that a fine line represents where two things seemingly at odds come together to create balance, harmony, and excitement. As a core component of the Hornitos campaign, the use of the phrase 'Fine Line' represents the exhilarating moments that are to be savored, but at the same time is a symbol for a superb collection of tequilas. Consistent throughout all creative executions is a striking icon of a fine line in the signature green color of the Hornitos bottle, along with the brand's new tagline 'experience the fine line of tequila.'

To complement the manifesto, the new consumer print execution shows an image of a red devil's wing, tail, and flames with a fine green line intersecting a parallel image of an angel's wing with beams of light. The distinctive Hornitos bottle rests on the fine green line, with both images at opposite sides, representing the perfect combination. In addition to the 'experience the fine line of tequila' tagline, there is punchy ad copy at the bottom reading 'savour that thrill of the perfect combination of smooth taste and tequila edge. 100% puro de agave.'

The new advertising campaign is a mix of online, radio, print, and out of home placements, with 38% of the budget being dedicated to online advertising. Hornitos will run a mix of high impact rich media banner ad units as well as home page takeovers, roadblocks and custom skins with AskMen, Yahoo! and ad networks BlueLithium and Gorilla Nation. In addition, Hornitos is partnering with key publisher sites to create custom branded entertainment programs with Maxim, UGO, Playboy, Pandora and Break.com. Consumer print advertisements will run in GQ, Maxim, Blender, and Playboy magazines beginning October 2007, and advertising in spirits trade books will begin in August.

The newly designed Hornitos bottle brings together key elements from the original bottle designed in 1950 and the brand's latest iteration. Pentagonal in shape, the new bottle boasts a label in the shape of a large agave leaf on the front in the iconic Hornitos green. The label simply reads 'Hornitos' in red with authentic sub-lines reading '100% puro de agave' (100% pure agave) and 'Este fino tequila se dejo reposar a la perfeccion con el tradicional metodo artesanal mexicano' (this fine tequila is rested to perfection using the traditional Mexican artisanal method). The bottle cap is also in the striking Hornitos green with horizontal ridges at the top.

All variants in the Hornitos line are available in 50ml, 200ml, 375 ml, 750 ml, 1 L, and 1.75 L bottles. Suggested retail prices begin at $24.99, $25.99, and $29.99 for 750 mL bottles of the plata, reposado and anejo respectively. A variety of on- and off-premise point of sale items are available including a bi-lingual consumer tasting guide, coasters, table tents, posters, case cards, shelf talker, t-shirts, pitchers, and key chains. Exciting sales tools including a DVD, educational brochures, glassware tray and a launch party guide are also available.

Publicis Dallas along with input from other offices lead the creative design for all advertising, POS, and sales tools. Chicago based Akimbo spearheaded all bottle re-design efforts, while New York based Zenithmedia along with sister agency Moxie Interactive out of Atlanta, coordinated all online, print, radio, and out of home media buys. All on- and off-premise event executions are to be led by Relay Worldwide's Chicago office.

The tequila category has experienced robust growth in recent years, and Hornitos(R) tequila in particular is poised for a successful 2007, with an 11% growth surge vs. last year for the 12-month period ending May 2007 (DISCUS NABCA). Representing one of the most diverse tequila portfolios on the market, Sauza offers a fine selection of premium, super-premium and ultra-premium tequilas perfect for sipping, shooting, and savoring. The Sauza portfolio includes the 100 Anos(TM) tequila family, Sauza(R) Gold, Sauza(R) Blanco, Hornitos(TM), and the Tres Generaciones(R) family.

Editor's Note: Product samples, advertising samples, re-designed bottle shots, and Hornitos recipes are available upon request, please contact Charissa Benjamin at  cbenjamin@qorvis.com

About Sauza(R) Tequila

Sauza(R) Tequila is one of the oldest tequilas in Mexico and one of the most popular in its homeland. Sauza(R) is the #2 premium tequila in the world. Through its popularity in its native Mexico, Sauza(R) has reached the esteemed front-runner position as one of the world's fastest-growing tequilas. This high-quality tequila true to its Mexican roots also boasts one of the most diverse families of tequila on the market, with a fine selection of premium, super-premium and ultra-premium tequilas perfect for mixing, sipping and straight-up consumption. Additional information can be found at www.sauzatequila.com

About Beam Global Spirits & Wine

Inspiring conversations around the world, Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc., is building brands people want to talk about. Consumers from all corners of the globe call for our brands, including Jim Beam(R) Bourbon, Sauza(R) Tequila, Canadian Club(R) Whisky, Courvoisier(R) Cognac, Maker's Mark(R) Bourbon, Laphroaig(R) Scotch Whisky, Larios(R) Gin, Whisky DYC(R), Teacher's(R) Scotch Whisky, DeKuyper(R) Cordials and Liqueurs, Knob Creek(R) Bourbon, Starbucks(TM) Liqueurs and Clos du Bois(R) Wines. Beam Global Spirits & Wine is part of Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE:FO), a leading consumer brands company with annual sales exceeding $8 billion. For more information on Beam Global Spirits & Wine, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamglobal.com and www.drinksmart.com.

Drink Responsibly.

Sauza(R) Hornitos(TM) Tequila, 40% alc./vol. (C)2007 Sauza Tequila Import Company, Deerfield, IL

Newstex ID: BW-0001-19712649


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