Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Trades No. 88 for a Diet Mountain Dew

PURCHASE, N.Y., Feb. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Diet Mountain Dew (Diet DEW) is bringing a humorous spin to the 2012 NASCAR season with a new ad that demonstrates how far Dale Earnhardt, Jr. will go for the great taste of Diet Mountain Dew.

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The :30 second spot, "Trade," which was created by BBDO New York, will hit the air waves this weekend as Earnhardt debuts the No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew/National Guard Chevrolet for the first race of the 2012 NASCAR season. The ad features a lucky shopper driving away with the ultimate prize after Earnhardt makes a surprising trade for an ice-cold Diet Mountain Dew because "Yeah, it tastes that good."

Mountain Dew and AMP Energy have been partners on Earnhardt's cars since he joined Hendrick Motorsports in 2008. Diet Mountain Dew assumes the primary sponsorship role for No. 88 with the start of the 2012 season and AMP Energy will remain as a major associate sponsor, retaining a significant presence with the team.

"Diet Mountain Dew is off to a strong start in 2012, with solid growth and the news that we've passed the billion dollar sales milestone," said Emily Silver, senior marketing manager, Diet Mountain Dew. "And, with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. on-board to help us spread the word about the great taste of Diet Mountain Dew, we only expect things to accelerate from here."

Mountain Dew and Diet Mountain Dew are known for engaging their loyal and passionate fan base. Now, to celebrate its new sponsor relationship, Diet Mountain Dew is joining Earnhardt in inviting fans to join the DEW Crew, an online community for Mountain Dew, Earnhardt and NASCAR fans.

Building on a legacy that began when Mountain Dew was the sponsor of NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip's 1981 and '82 championship seasons, Diet Mountain Dew is extending the DEW Crew from the pit to the fans at home. Fans who sign up at dewcrew.com beginning today at 5:00 p.m. eastern time will enjoy access to exclusive content and earn points for the chance to win exclusive prizes. Plus, DEW Crew members can help participate in decision making activities for the No.88 race team.

To watch "Trade" or for information about Diet Mountain Dew and the DEW Crew, please visit Diet DEW's official Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/DietDew or dewcrew.com

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY OR PAYMENT NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Internet Access Required. Open to legal residents of 50 United States or DC who are 19 years of age and older. Subject to Official Rules at www.dewcrew.com. Sweepstakes Period ends 11/15/2012. Prizes shown for reference only actual prizes may vary. Void where prohibited.

About Diet Mountain Dew
"Yeah, it tastes that good." Diet Mountain Dew offers consumers the one-of-a-kind citrus taste of Mountain Dew without all the calories. 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 or www.facebook.com/dietdew or on twitter @mtn_dew.

About PepsiCo
PepsiCo offers the world's largest portfolio of billion-dollar food and beverage brands, including 19 different product lines that each generates more than $1 billion in annual retail sales. Our main businesses - Frito-Lay, Quaker, Pepsi-Cola, Tropicana and Gatorade - also make hundreds of other nourishing, tasty foods and drinks that bring joy to our consumers in more than 200 countries. With annualized revenues of nearly $60 billion, PepsiCo's people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth, called Performance with Purpose. By dedicating ourselves to offering a broad array of choices for healthy, convenient and fun nourishment, reducing our environmental impact, and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace culture, PepsiCo balances strong financial returns with giving back to our communities worldwide. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.

SOURCE PepsiCo