LOUISVILLE, Ky., April. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Brown-Forman (NYSE: BF-B), the owners of Casa Herradura Tequilas including el Jimador, announced today a new multi-million dollar, four-year partnership  with Soccer United Marketing (SUM), making the company the official tequila sponsor of Major League Soccer (MLS), U.S. Soccer and the U.S. Men's and Women's National Teams, and the Mexican National Team's annual tour of the United States.

This sponsorship is the single largest marketing investment Brown-Forman has made in its tequila brands since acquiring Casa Herradura in 2007 and provides the brand with a comprehensive  activation platform across the highest levels of the sport, including:

• MLS and its marquee events: MLS First Kick, the AT&T MLS All-Star Game, and MLS Cup, MLS' championship game.
• Global rights to the U.S. Men's and Women's National Teams, which will represent the U.S. in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, 2012 Olympic Games, and 2014 FIFA World Cup.
• Sponsorship of the hugely popular annual United States tour by the Mexican National Team.

Brown-Forman will receive extensive marketing and promotional rights across the properties to leverage with its consumers including logo rights for promotions, on-field signage at over 100 nationally televised matches per year, on-site presence at matches, ability to develop co-branded merchandise, player appearances and to be announced proprietary programs. All messaging will remind consumers to drink responsibly, a key emphasis for the brand, the company and the SUM properties.

"We believe the time is right to make a major investment in soccer in this country as the sport aligns very well with our target consumer and is perfectly positioned to take advantage of the shifting demographics in the marketplace," said Kris Sirchio, Chief Marketing Officer for Brown-Forman.  "We look forward to working with our new partners at SUM to capitalize on this opportunity by bringing innovative and exciting activation programs to the millions of soccer fans across America."

Experts are bullish on the prospects for soccer in the United States.  According to a poll conducted in December 2010 by the Sports Business Journal, sports business executives overwhelmingly voted soccer and MLS as the sport and league with the most growth potential.  Additionally, Nielsen studies show Hispanic consumers are some of the most avid soccer fans -- from playing recreationally to attending matches or watching it at home with friends. Those same studies show el Jimador Tequila consumers are even more likely than others to watch soccer live or on TV, and soccer viewership is one of the top occasions when Hispanic consumers imbibe in tequila.

"Soccer aligns perfectly with el Jimador Tequila, the number one selling tequila in Mexico and one of the fastest growing tequila brands in the United States," said Mark Grindstaff, U.S. brand director for Casa Herradura Tequilas. "We think the combination of these properties gives us a powerful marketing platform to reach the diverse and growing soccer market in this country."

"We would like to welcome el Jimador to the SUM family," said David Wright, vice president, global sponsorship, SUM. "The el Jimador brand is an ideal match for the sport of soccer; a brand that we anticipate will become synonymous with our passionate fans for many years to come."

FocalSport, LLC was integral to bringing Brown-Forman and Soccer United Marketing together.

To follow el Jimador's activation and presence during games, please visit the brand's Facebook page at http://facebook.com/eljimador.

About Brown-Forman

Brown-Forman Corporation is a diversified producer and marketer of fine quality beverage alcohol brands, including Jack Daniel's, Southern Comfort, Finlandia Vodka, Tequila Herradura, el Jimador Tequila, Canadian Mist, Korbel California Champagnes, and Sonoma Cutrer wines.  

About el Jimador Tequila

From Casa Herradura, established in 1870, el Jimador is a premium, authentic 100 percent agave tequila that captures the spirit of real tequila. The name el Jimador honors the men who harvest the locally grown agave with great pride and care. Since its introduction in 1994, el Jimador has become the No. 1 selling tequila in Mexico*. To learn more about el Jimador, visit www.eljimador.com.

About Soccer United Marketing

Founded in 2002, Soccer United Marketing (SUM) is the preeminent soccer business company in North America. SUM holds the exclusive rights to the most important soccer properties in the region, including: all commercial rights to Major League Soccer; the United States Soccer Federation; promotional and marketing rights to Mexican National Team games played in the United States; and the marketing and promotion of the CONCACAF Gold Cup™. For more information, please visit www.SUMworld.com.

Important Information on Forward-Looking Statements:

This report contains statements, estimates, and projections that are "forward-looking statements" as defined under U.S. federal securities laws. Words such as "aim," "anticipate," "aspire," "believe," "envision," "estimate," "expect," "expectation," "intend," "may," "potential," "project," "pursue," "see," "will," "will continue," and similar words identify forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date we make them. Except as required by law, we do not intend to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.  By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors (many beyond our control) that could cause our actual results to differ materially from our historical experience or from our current expectations or projections. These risks and other factors include, but are not limited to:

• continuing or additional pressure on economic conditions in major markets or political, financial, or equity market turmoil (and related credit and capital market instability and  illiquidity); high unemployment; supplier, customer or consumer credit or other financial problems; inventory fluctuations at distributors, wholesalers, or retailers; bank failures or governmental nationalizations; etc.
• successful development and implementation of effective business and brand strategies and innovations, including distribution, marketing, promotional activity, favorable trade and consumer reaction to our product line extensions, formulation, and packaging changes
• competitors' pricing actions (including price reductions, promotions, discounting, couponing or free goods), marketing, product introductions, or other competitive activities
• prolonged continuation or acceleration of the declines in consumer confidence or spending, whether related to economic conditions (such as austerity measures or tax increases), wars, natural or other disasters, weather, pandemics, security concerns, terrorist attacks or other factors
• changes in tax rates (including excise, sales, VAT, corporate, individual income, dividends, capital gains) or in related reserves, changes in tax rules (e.g., LIFO, foreign income deferral, U.S. manufacturing and other deductions) or accounting standards, tariffs,  or other restrictions affecting beverage alcohol, and the unpredictability and suddenness with which they can occur
• trade or consumer resistance to price increases in our products
• tighter governmental restrictions on our ability to produce, import, sell, price, or market our products, including advertising and promotion; regulatory compliance costs
• business disruption, decline or costs related to reductions in workforce or other cost-cutting measures
• lower returns and discount rates related to pension assets, higher interest rates, or significant fluctuations in inflation rates; deflation
• fluctuations in the U.S. dollar against foreign currencies, especially the euro, British pound, Australian dollar, or Polish zloty
• changes in consumer behavior and our ability to anticipate and respond to them, including reduction of bar, restaurant, hotel or other on-premise business; shifts to discount store purchases or shifts away from premium-priced products; other price-sensitive consumer behavior; or reductions in travel
• distribution arrangement and other route-to-consumer decisions or changes that affect the timing of our sales, temporarily disrupt the marketing or sale of our products, or result in implementation-related costs
• adverse impacts resulting from our acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, business partnerships, or portfolio strategies
• lower profits, due to factors such as fewer used barrel sales, lower production volumes (either for our own brands or for those of third parties), sales mix shift toward lower priced or lower margin skus, or cost increases in energy or raw materials, such as grapes, grain, agave, wood, glass, plastic, or closures
• climate changes, agricultural uncertainties, environmental calamities, our suppliers' financial hardships or other factors that affect the  availability, price, or quality of grapes, agave, grain, glass, energy, closures, plastic, or wood
• negative publicity related to our company, brands, personnel, operations, business performance or prospects
• product counterfeiting, tampering, contamination, or recalls and resulting negative effects on our sales, brand equity, or corporate reputation
• significant costs or other adverse developments stemming from litigation or governmental investigations of beverage alcohol industry business, trade, or marketing practices by us, our importers, distributors, or retailers
• impairment in the recorded value of any assets, including receivables, inventory, fixed assets, goodwill or other intangibles

SOURCE Brown-Forman