E! Entertainment and NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission Team Up with CIROC to Spotlight Celebrating Safely this New Year’s Eve
NEW YORK, Dec. 29 /PRNewswire/ — CIROC, The “Official Vodka of New Year’s Eve” – and Sean “Diddy” Combs will once again provide thousands of New Yorkers and visitors to the city with a chance for a safe ride home by helping to pick up the tab for yellow cab fares and MTA subway rides this New Year’s Eve. Additionally, for the first time ever, CIROC and Sean “Diddy” Combs will bring their Safe Rides program to the City of Las Vegas to further drive the brand’s message of social responsibility this holiday season.
“As the ‘Official Vodka of New Year’s Eve,’ we made a huge impact last year helping New York get home safely, so I’m proud to announce that we’re bringing Safe Rides back in an even bigger way,” said Combs, who entered into a strategic marketing alliance with the owner of the spirit brand more than two years ago. ”New York stands as the world’s icon for a New Year’s Eve celebration and Las Vegas is the biggest party destination in the country. By bringing this program to both of these great cities we will continue to show the rest of the country that a sophisticated holiday celebration doesn’t end when the ball drops, but when everyone gets home safely.”
2009 will mark the second consecutive year the vodka brand has partnered with E! Entertainment and the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC) to distribute pre-paid taxi cards (valued up to $15 and redeemable in the city’s 13,000-plus taxicabs) to encourage responsible decision-making this holiday season. With the expansion of the program to Las Vegas, 2009 will also mark the national debut of the brand’s Safe Rides program.
“It is both refreshing and gratifying to see brands like CIROC continuing to highlight the importance of safety and responsibility,” added Matthew W. Daus, Taxi and Limousine Commission Chairman. “Social responsibility and the taxicab industry have always been natural partners, and so we appreciate CIROC’s thoughtfulness in once again partnering with the industry to ring in 2010 by helping people to celebrate in a fun and smart way.”
CIROC teams will distribute thousands of debit and MTA cards to adult consumers (while supplies last) in New York City between 8:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. Each debit card will provide up to $15.00 in cab fare – the approximate cost of a single taxicab fare within New York City. All MTA cards are redeemable for a one-way subway or bus fare valued at $2.25.
In Las Vegas, CIROC brand ambassadors will distribute pre-paid taxi cards (valued up to $15) at key venues and high traffic locations in an effort to promote responsible decision-making this holiday season.
“CIROC and Sean Combs are fantastic partners and we’re excited to ring in 2010 with them highlighting this important cause,” said Ted Harbert, President & CEO, Comcast Entertainment Group. ”We also remain dedicated to providing an easy way for people to party responsibly year-round through E!’s Drive Safe campaign, which offers a solution to find a safe ride home anytime, anywhere.”
CIROC and the E! network are extending the message nationally with the network’s “Drive Safe” campaign, including on-air spots that feature some of today’s hottest celebrities encouraging responsible decision-making and offering people a solution to find a safe ride home. Viewers can text “DRIVESAFE” to 44264 from their wireless devices to receive taxi contact information in their area. Standard text message rates apply.
For more information, visit www.cirocvodka.com
