JMI

In 2009, Crown Royal continued its strong motorsports programming in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series, with JMI serving as the lead agency for all its motorsports programming. The JMI-Crown Royal relationship began when NASCAR's 58-year ban on spirits sponsorship was overturned in late 2004.

Crown Royal continued to evolve its innovative NASCAR activations in 2009, including the "Your Name Here" promotion. In this promotion, a winning consumer is awarded the naming rights to a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in Richmond, Va. 2009 marked the third year of this promotion and Russ Friedman was the lucky winner (the race was entitled "Crown Royal Presents the Russ Friedman 400"). The brand continues to evolve this program as it generates enormous consumer participation and awareness.

JMI also helped develop and implement the imaginative Crown Royal "Safe Rides" program, a relevant and authentic extension of the brand's social responsibility campaigns. The program was held in key race market bar districts where Crown Royal race car-branded cars gave adult consumers rides home. These events engendered mass impressions and important responsibility messages to a well-targeted audience.

Late in 2009, the JMI team partnered with Diageo to develop a NASCAR-themed program for the Diageo vodka brand, Jeremiah Weed. The brand assumed full primary sponsorship on all of Jamie McMurray's No. 26 assets at the NASCAR Banking 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway, including car, pit box and firesuits. The NASCAR integration resulted in a hugely successful promotion that raised awareness and increased market penetration.

In 2010, the Crown Royal team sponsorship will move within Roush Fenway Racing to former Sprint Cup champion Matt Kenseth and the No. 17 car, reuniting Kenseth and Diageo whose sponsorship of Kenseth in 2003 resulted in the Sprint Cup Championship.