Tecate Celebrates Men of Character as Sponsor of the Anticipated de la Hoya Vs. Pacquiao Bout

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tecate, cerveza con carácter, announces its sponsorship of the most important boxing event of the year: the 12-round bout between the Olympic gold medalist and 10-time world champion Oscar de la Hoya (39-5, 30 KOs) and Ring magazine’s No. 1 ranked pound-for-pound champion Manny Pacquiao (47-3-2, 35 KOs), on Saturday, Dec. 6 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

According to an ESPN poll, boxing is one of the most prominent sports among Hispanics, drawing 62 percent of Hispanic viewers. As such, Tecate has developed an aggressive multi-platform campaign to further connect with adult consumers through a relevant medium and raise awareness of the fight. Program highlights include the launch of a commemorative 24-oz and 12-oz can and thematic packaging for 18-packs and 12-packs, as well as a $20 Mail-in-rebate discount for the HBO Pay-Per-View event with the purchase of a 12-pack or larger of Tecate or Tecate Light (where legal).

“This fight creates a great opportunity for us to reinforce Tecate’s sponsorship prominence within the sport and strengthens our connection with Hispanic adult consumers by tapping into their passion for boxing,” said Carlos Boughton, brand director for Tecate brand equity. “As part of our commitment, we will be launching various promotions, as well as on- and off-premise initiatives to enhance the consumer experience before and during this historic match.”

Tecate also will develop thousands of thematic POS elements and posters with fight details, to be distributed nationally at grocery, convenience and liquor stores. Furthermore, Tecate will tailor its TV and radio spots to promote the fight. These will air two to three weeks prior to the event in key markets such as Los Angeles; Fresno, Calif.; Monterey, Calif.; Sacramento; San Diego; San Francisco; Albuquerque; Las Vegas; Phoenix; Austin; Dallas and Houston.

To create buzz and excitement in the days leading up to Dec. 6, Tecate will offer boxing aficionados the opportunity to meet their idols through exclusive autograph and photo sessions with Golden Boy Promotions fighters and the popular Chicas Tecate in markets including Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

“For the past two years, Tecate has sponsored some of the most important Golden Boy Promotions events, and we have seen how their activation elements help further engage consumers,” said Richard Schaefer, chief executive officer of Golden Boy Promotions. “This is a sold out event and we now need to focus on getting boxing fans at home equally excited. We are confident Tecate’s promotions will help generate buzz and make the last bout of the year a success.”

For more information on Tecate’s boxing platform, please contact Paola Ruiz or Alejandra Calva at (212) 219-0321.

ABOUT FEMSA/HEINEKEN USA

In 2004, Heineken USA and FEMSA Cerveza reached an agreement that made Heineken USA the sole and exclusive importer, marketer and seller of FEMSA’s beer brands in the United States. Under the terms of the agreement, Heineken USA assumed responsibility for the marketing, sales and distribution of the beer brands Dos Equis, Tecate, Sol, Carta Blanca, Bohemia, and the new Tecate Light across the United States. In April 2007, an extended ten-year agreement was finalized between Heineken USA and FEMSA, which became effective Jan. 1, 2008.

Heineken USA Inc., the nation's premier beer importer, is a subsidiary of Heineken International BV, which is the world's most international brewer. Besides the FEMSA portfolio, brands imported into the U.S. include: Heineken Lager, the world's most international beer brand; Heineken Premium Light; Amstel Light, a leading imported light beer brand; Newcastle Brown Ale, the leading imported ale in the United States; and Buckler non-alcoholic brew. Please visit EnjoyHeinekenResponsibly.com.

Founded in 1890, FEMSA is the largest integrated beverage company in Latin America with a portfolio of leading beer and soft drink brands. Its subsidiary FEMSA Cerveza is one of the leading brewers in Mexico with brands that include Tecate, Dos Equis and Sol. Its subsidiary Coca-Cola FEMSA is the largest Coca-Cola bottler in Latin America and the second largest in the world. FEMSA sells its products through approximately two million points of sale, which serve a population of over 170 million people in nine countries, including some of the most populous metropolitan areas in Latin America, such as Mexico City, São Paulo and Buenos Aires. FEMSA’s manufacturing and distribution capabilities are enhanced by its retail and packaging operations; it operates Oxxo, the largest convenience store chain in Mexico, with over 3,000 stores as of June 2004. For more information on FEMSA, go to www.femsa.com.