Jose Cuervo Announces Title Sponsorship of the 2008 Jose Cuervo Black US Air Guitar Championships

Jose Cuervo Announces Title Sponsorship of the 2008 Jose Cuervo Black US Air Guitar Championships

World's Most Renowned Tequila Amps Up 'American Pastime'

NEW YORK, June 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Nothing but ... air? Jose Cuervo, the world's most renowned producer of Tequila, announced today its title sponsorship of the 2008 Jose Cuervo Black US Air Guitar Championships, presented by TouchTunes. The brand aims to "play an instrumental role" in increasing the fan base and number of participants in this once-hidden form of lib-"air"-ating self-expression.

The 2008 tour will host over 21 regional competitions nationwide encouraging participants to take the nation's unofficial pastime out of the recreational room and onto the stage for all to see. In each city a panel of independent judges score instrument-free performances based on technical merit, stage presence and Airness -- the extent to which a performance surpasses the imitation of a real guitar and becomes an art form in and of itself.

"Jose Cuervo has always encouraged our fans to make the most out life's experiences. Jose Cuervo Black is a product that breaks the mold in the Tequila category by aging in newly charred white oak barrels; it's bold and dares to be different and mixes extremely well with the addition of cola," said Toby Whitmoyer, Brand Director, Jose Cuervo. "In the same sense, air guitarists transcend the boundaries of typical musicians and are able to create an art form unique and exciting to each competitor."

Contestants must participate in two extreme rounds of competition before someone is named regional champion. Round one is a freestyle selection consisting of a one-minute performance to a song of his/her choosing. The top competitors from round one must then participate in a compulsory round where he/she must perform to a surprise song. The winner from each city, and the defending 2007 champion, will be sent to San Francisco in August 2008 to compete in the US Air Guitar Finals for the crown of US Air Guitar Champion.

"US Air Guitar is thrilled to be working with Jose Cuervo, and they're already helping us take the event to more cities, more fans and more performers -- but with even fewer guitars," said Kriston Rucker, Co-Commissioner of US Air Guitar. "Like us, they see beauty in the madness of competitive air guitar and will bring a whole new level of attention to the event and its star performers."

Air Guitar, defined as "an imaginary guitar that rocks for real," has been around almost as long as rock music itself. Only during the last decade has the world stage grown to include an organized competition in the US. The winner of the 2008 US Air Guitar Championships on August 8 in San Francisco will represent the United States at the 2008 Air Guitar World Championships, August 20-22 in Oulu, Finland.

Jose Cuervo reminds air guitar fans and participants to "air on the side of caution" when it comes to responsible drinking.

Jose Cuervo Black Medallion(TM) is the newest super-premium tequila to join the world's leading tequila portfolio, offers a smooth, rich and enjoyable taste that can easily be mixed with cola or served on the rocks. Cuervo Black delivers a new, smoother taste experience to the Jose Cuervo family of tequilas with a personality and style all its own. Similar to fine, aged whiskeys, Cuervo Black is best enjoyed mixed with cola and a slice of lime or savored on the rocks. The suggested retail price is $19.99 to $20.99 per 750 ml bottle (price varies by market). Please visit www.cuervo.com for additional information.

About Jose Cuervo

Jose Cuervo is the largest producer of Tequila throughout Mexico and around the world. In addition to Jose Cuervo Black Medalion, the Jose Cuervo portfolio of Tequilas includes Jose Cuervo Especial, the world's best-selling Tequila, Jose Cuervo Clasico, Jose Cuervo Tradicional, Jose Cuervo Platino, Jose Cuervo Golden Margarita, Authentic Jose Cuervo Margaritas, Jose Cuervo Margarita Mix and Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia. For more information, visit www.cuervo.com.

Jose Cuervo Tequilas are imported and marketed in the United States by Diageo North America, a subsidiary of Diageo PLC. Based in London, Diageo PLC is the world's leading spirits and wine company and is traded on the NYSE under the symbol DEO. For more information, visit www.diageo.com.

About US Air Guitar

Founded in 2003, US Air Guitar is the official Air Guitar Association of the United States and is responsible for operating the US Air Guitar Championships, official Regional events, and specialized "Dream Team" events. US Air Guitar is devoted to taking our nation's unofficial pastime out of the recreation room and putting it up on the world stage. US Air Guitar is an official member of the World Air Guitar Association. Entering its sixth year in the US and its eleventh year world-wide, official national championships currently are held in 21 Countries around the world, including the USA, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and the United Arab Emirates, with more countries participating every year. Each country will send one representative to The Air Guitar World Championships, held annually Oulu, Finland. For more information, visit: www.usairguitar.com.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Jose Cuervo

CONTACT: Kelly Phoebus of Taylor, +1-212-714-5739,
kphoebus@taylorpr.com, for Jose Cuervo; or Greg Leonard of Diageo,
+1-646-223-2111, greg.leonard@diageo.com

Web site: http://www.cuervo.com/
http://www.diageo.com/
http://www.usairguitar.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment