Mountain Dew and Lil Wayne Announce Partnership With STOKED and Development of New Orleans Skate Park

PURCHASE, N.Y., Aug. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Mountain Dew and Lil Wayne announced today they have partnered with action sports youth development agency STOKED for the next phase of their national DEWeezy campaign. The partnership was launched to inspire creativity and a sense of community among fans, and develop the next Mountain Dew commercial. To raise awareness for the campaign, Mountain Dew and STOKED have launched www.deweezy.com, a site where fans can learn more about the project and help to bring the next DEW/Lil Wayne commercial to life. The brand also announced they will be cutting the ribbon on the DEWeezy Skate Park on August 29^th in New Orleans.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120801/NY50685-a )

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120801/NY50685-b )

"We've been looking forward to announcing this phase of the DEWeezy Project and getting our consumers involved," says Brett O'Brien, Vice President of Marketing, Mountain Dew. "The campaign is about igniting creativity and celebrating people who follow their passion – like Lil Wayne has with skateboarding. DEWeezy is the perfect platform to engage fans and invite them to show us what 'This is I DEW' means to them."

"We are thrilled to move forward with the next phase of the DEWeezy campaign. Lil Wayne is passionate about skateboarding and the New Orleans community and this campaign fits those passions together seamlessly," added Cortez Bryant, co-CEO of Blueprint Group, which manages the Grammy Award winning artist.

Mountain Dew and STOKED are currently accepting submissions on www.deweezy.com, inviting fans to collaborate on concepts and content for Lil Wayne's next Mountain Dew commercial. Entries will consist of uploaded messages and photos, where participants can voice their vision and creative input inspired by Lil Wayne's "DEW you" message. Fans will then be able to cast votes on ideas that prove to be a creative springboard for the project, followed by an opportunity to be in the commercial and finally vote on their favorite version of the TV spot.

In addition to working with the action sports-geared program STOKED, Mountain Dew and Lil Wayne have broken ground on a brand new DEWeezy skate park in New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward Village, a neighborhood center for one of the districts hit hardest by Hurricane Katrina. The skate park will serve as a recreational destination for the community, giving residents as well as visitors an opportunity to "DEW you" and ride the state-of-the-art park which will also have eco-friendly features.

Constructed by renowned skate park developers California Skateparks and Make it Right Foundation architect Tim Duggan under the direction of GLU Agency, the park will be designed to echo the landscape of the Lower 9th and celebrate its revitalization. The main expanse of the floor of the indoor park will represent a portion of the street grid around The Village, with a line down the center representing Caffin Avenue connecting bank and quarter pipe end pieces at either end of the park representing the Mississippi River and the Bayou Bienvenue.

For more information on the DEWeezy Project, visit www.DEWeezy.com or join the conversation at #DEWeezy.

About Mountain Dew

Mountain Dew, a product of PepsiCo Americas Beverages, is the No. 1 flavored carbonated soft drink in the U.S.. With its one-of-a-kind citrus taste, Mountain Dew exhilarates and quenches with every sip. In addition to original Mountain Dew® and Diet Mountain Dew®, the permanent DEW product line includes Mountain Dew Code Red®, Mountain Dew LiveWire®, Mountain Dew Throwback®, Mountain Dew Voltage® and Mountain Dew White Out®. For more information, check out www.mountaindew.com, www.facebook.com/mountaindew or follow on twitter @mtn_dew.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo is a global food and beverage leader with net revenues of more than $65 billion and a product portfolio that includes 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in annual retail sales. Our main businesses – Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay and Pepsi-Cola – make hundreds of enjoyable foods and beverages that are loved throughout the world. PepsiCo's people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth by investing in a healthier future for people and our planet, which we believe also means a more successful future for PepsiCo. We call this commitment Performance with Purpose: PepsiCo's promise to provide a wide range of foods and beverages for local tastes; to find innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment by conserving energy and water and reducing packaging volume; to provide a great workplace for our associates; and to respect, support and invest in the local communities where we operate. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.

About DEWeezy:

The DEWeezy Project is your opportunity to be a part of the driving force behind a brand new Mtn Dew TV spot starring Lil Wayne. Inspire the idea, help select storyboards, and even get a behind the scenes look at the TV shoot. Then watch as the spot comes to life in front of DEW nation.

About STOKED

STOKED, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was founded on the belief that the courage and perseverance needed to learn action sports would be an ideal way to teach those life skills to youth from disadvantaged urban communities. STOKED's mission is to promote personal development, academic achievement, and healthy living to under-served youth through action sports culture. Founded in 2005 by Steve Larosiliere and Sal Masekela, the organization operates in both New York and Los Angeles and has served over 2100 youth.

SOURCE PepsiCo