NEW YORK, March 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today three
iconic brands – GUINNESS®, BAILEYS® and BUSHMILLS® – joined
New York City's Department of
Transportation (DOT) to announce a month-long "Safe Rides Home"
campaign to promote responsible consumption of alcohol throughout
the bracket-busting playoff season, on St.
Patrick's Day and for other festivities throughout the month
of March. Now through the end of the month thousands of free taxi,
livery car and public transit rides will be given away to legal
drinking-age adult consumers, encouraging New Yorkers and visitors
to the city to always plan for a designated driver.
Diageo and the DOT launched its first Safe Rides Home program in
December 2010 where 78 percent of all
debit card transactions from the giveaway took place during a prime
celebratory window – between 10 p.m. and 5
a.m. – validating Diageo and DOT's efforts to encourage
responsible decision-making among consumers. For this month's "Safe
Rides Home" campaign, free, pre-paid debit cards valued at
$18 and single-ride MetroCards will
be distributed at select points across the city. The debit cards
are redeemable exclusively in the city's 13,000-plus taxicabs,
participating livery car services, MTA, PATH, NJ Transit or other
transit-related ticketing machines. Diageo and the DOT will also
distribute one-way fare Metro Cards, valued each at $2.25, for use on the New York City subway system as part of this
program.
"Safe Rides Home" debit cards and Metro Cards will be
distributed throughout March on the following days:
- Saturday, March 17th – Irish pubs
and alumni bars throughout Manhattan
- Thursday, March 22nd – Alumni
bars in the Bay Ridge and Astoria
areas
- Saturday, March 31st – Alumni
bars throughout Manhattan
"In a city of champions, New York
City has many reasons to celebrate, and planning for a safe
ride home after the game this basketball tournament season is as
important as filling out your brackets," said NYC Department of
Transportation Commissioner Janette
Sadik-Khan. "After the celebration, the city's designated
drivers – including our taxi drivers and subway operators – make
the key assists that get everyone home safely."
"It is essential that our brands support initiatives like the
Department of Transportation's 'Safe Rides Home' program," said
Guy Smith, Diageo Executive Vice
President of Corporate Relations. "Brands like GUINNESS®, BAILEYS®
and BUSHMILLS® have been and always will be produced for
responsible, celebratory consumption, and making sure that a
designated driver is in place is part of that
responsibility."
Former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason and Craig Carton, radio personalities and hosts of
WFAN's Boomer & Carton morning sports radio show, have
teamed up with GUINNESS, BAILEYS, BUSHMILLS and the DOT to
emphasize the importance of celebrating responsibly throughout the
month of March.
"March has always been a time of year that's packed with
excitement, from St. Patrick's Day to
rivalries being played out on the basketball court," said Esiason.
"This year we are helping GUINNESS, BAILEYS and BUSHMILLS with
their partnership with the NYC Department of Transportation for
their Safe Rides Home program. They know that success does not come
from being off your A-game by taking unnecessary risks, and we
couldn't agree more," added Carton.
The "Safe Rides Home" campaign is part of DOT's social-marketing
campaign, "You the Man," which is designed to curb drunk driving in
the city encouraging New Yorkers to plan for a designated driver
before a fun night out. Adult consumers can download the "You the
Man" app, which is available for iPhone and Android users, that
assists adult consumers in finding a safe ride home. Download the
new Android-version on Android Market/Google Play or the Amazon
Appstore. Visit the Web site, www.youthemannyc.org, for more
information.
Throughout the month of March, join the NYC Department of
Transportation, GUINNESS®, BAILEYS® and BUSHMILLS® by celebrating
responsibly and ensuring that a safe ride home is planned for after
the festivities.
For additional details about the DOT's ongoing efforts to
enhance safety, visit www.nyc.gov/dot.
About Diageo
Diageo is the world's leading premium drinks business with an
outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits,
wines, and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B,
Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal,
Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling
Vineyards wines. Diageo is a global company, trading in more than
180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the
New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE).
For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and
performance, visit us at Diageo.com. For our global resource that
promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice
tools, information and initiatives, visit DRINKiQ.com.
Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.
Media
Contacts:
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Seth
Solomonow/Nicole Garcia
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Maeve
Hagen
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NYC
Department of Transportation
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Taylor
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(212)
839-4850
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(212)
714-5743
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SOURCE Diageo