Famed Whiskey Distillery Sets out to Make Jack Daniel’s Birthday a National Holiday

LYNCHBURG, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As Americans go to the ballot box to vote for their party of choice this fall, the Jack Daniel Distillery is asking for support for a true independent -- Mr. Jack himself. In celebration of his 160^th birthday this September, the “Back Jack” campaign will call on the U.S. Congress to make Jack Daniel’s birthday a national holiday and will seek supporters through a nationwide petition drive.

“It’s going to be a bit of a long shot, but we think there are plenty of Jack Daniel’s friends out there who are going to get behind our efforts to honor this legendary man.”

The man who pioneered the world’s best-selling whiskey was born in Lynchburg, Tenn., in September 1850, but due to the passage of time and fires, no one knows the exact date of his birth. While the folks at Jack Daniel’s typically just celebrate any day of the month, they decided that Mr. Jack’s independent American spirit, entrepreneurial success and worldwide recognition make him worthy of his own national holiday.

“We certainly realize there are plenty of very serious things going on in the country, but we also think folks should have a little fun with this particular campaign,” said Jack Daniel’s Master Distiller, Jeff Arnett. “It’s going to be a bit of a long shot, but we think there are plenty of Jack Daniel’s friends out there who are going to get behind our efforts to honor this legendary man.”

The “Back Jack” campaign will have a number of components:

Grass-roots Petition Campaign

From California to Maine, Florida to Washington state, Jack Daniel’s will ask its friends ages 21 and up beginning September 1^st to sign the petition calling on Congress to establish a national holiday in honor of Mr. Jack’s birthday. Supporters can sign up at JDBDay.com; via Facebook and text message; at bars and other locations; and, in select cities, at the Jack Daniel’s campaign bus. At the end of the month, petitions will be delivered to Washington, D.C. and the rest will be up to our political leaders. Since we don’t know the exact date of his birth in September, whatever day Congress chooses will be fine with the Distillery.

Virtual and Viral Campaign

The official campaign headquarters for the “Back Jack” effort will be located online at JDBDay.com. From there, fans will be directed to a special Facebook application where they can sign the petition as well as see and share viral video, view a map of state-by-state campaign support, earn badges and improve their “delegate” status by getting friends to sign the petition. Those who aren’t on Facebook can virtually sign the petition by texting JDBDay to 68405. In addition, supporters should look for the Jack Daniel’s Birthday JAGTAG in various locations to view an exclusive campaign video through their mobile device.

Campaign Bus Tour

The “Back Jack” campaign will really get rolling in mid-September with a bus tour leaving from Lynchburg, Tenn., and traveling to Washington, D.C. The bus tour will collect signatures in 10 cities and will culminate on Capitol Hill at the end of September, where brand representatives will deliver the signed petition to Congress. Among the cities currently slated for campaign rally stops are Lynchburg, Nashville, Louisville, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New York and Washington, D.C.

Commemorative Bottle and Campaign Cocktail

The “Back Jack” campaign would not be complete without a little of Mr. Jack’s famous product, so in honor of his 160^th birthday celebration, a special commemorative bottle will arrive in stores in September. The square, black bottle with red accents and smoke grey metallic foil will be available primarily in the 750 ML size (with a 1 L bottle available in a select few markets). The bottle containing 80 proof Tennessee Whiskey will have a suggested retail price of $29.99 and will feature a neck tag with a unique reference number enabling purchasers to register their bottle on JackDaniels.com. The official Back Jack campaign cocktail, Jack & Ginger, will also celebrate the campaign and offer supporters the perfect libation, because after all, Jack & Ginger are the perfect running mates.

** Editor’s Note: For additional information on the campaign including b-roll, photos and other materials, please visit www.jdbdaymedia.com

About Jack Daniel’s

Officially registered by the U.S. Government in 1866, the Jack Daniel Distillery, Lem Motlow, proprietor, is the oldest registered distillery in the United States and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Based in Lynchburg, Tenn., the Jack Daniel Distillery is the maker of the world-famous Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey, Gentleman Jack Rare Tennessee Whiskey, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Tennessee Whiskey and Jack Daniel’s Country Cocktails.

Drinking responsibly gets our vote.

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