Jim Beam Brands unveils new identity- Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc.

31/01/06 Jim Beam Brands Worldwide, Inc., unveils its new corporate name and visual identity - Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc. The change of name comes six months after affiliates of the Company closed the transaction to purchase a number of former Allied Domecq brands from Pernod Ricard, and just as the legal transfer of assets relating to the acquired brands is substantially completed. The acquisition, which propelled the company into a leadership position globally, was a key impetus behind changing the company name.

"This acquisition transformed JBB Worldwide into a new global leader in premium spirits, and made us a stronger player in U.S. wines" said President and CEO, Tom Flocco. "It redefined who we are, what we stand for and what we are capable of achieving in the future."

Beam Global Spirits & Wine recently:

- Became the world's fourth-largest spirits firm, up from seventh position in global rankings

- Doubled revenue from $1.2 billion to $2.5 billion

- Tripled its number of top-100 premium spirits worldwide

- Added premier global and national brands and assets around the world

- Changed from a company with sales predominantly in the U.S. to a truly global focus; sales and distribution shifted from almost 75% U.S. focused to nearly 50/50 between the U.S. and the rest of the world

- Greatly expanded the breadth and quantity of its U.S. wine portfolio

Other goals the new corporate name and visual identity needed to meet include:

- Accurately reflect Beam Global Spirits & Wine as a notably more global, premium entity in the industry; elevate its scale of portfolio and global reach

- Signal the birth of a new organization that combines the best of its past while laying the foundation for an even stronger future

- Build upon the company's heritage - and the heritage behind its brands, while communicating its commercial and cultural aspirations

- Create a distinction between the corporate name and the flagship Jim Beam bourbon brand

- Align the company name with the spirits and wine categories in which it is a major player

- Build a platform from which to unify previously separate cultures with a common vision and shared sense of purpose to achieve the harmony of "one culture, one company"

- Provide a common, umbrella corporate identity for employees around the world, no matter where they reside or what role they play within the organization

The company has adopted a new visual identity designed to address these goals. The logo features a contemporary interpretation of a traditional quality seal or hallmark at its core. It pays homage to characteristics shared by all the brands - heritage, craftsmanship and premium quality - while visually projecting the company's bold, go-forward stance in the marketplace.

Inside the seal resides a single letter "B" to represent "Beam," - a nod to the company's legacy and its flagship brand. The treatment encourages interpretation of the "B" literally as "Beam" the company name, and figuratively, playing to the double-entendre of "beam" as it relates to light, balance and structural support.

The wine business, which includes the former Allied Domecq U.S. wines and European fortified wines, as well as Peak Wines International, is now called Beam Wine Estates. Beam Wine Estates has adopted a parallel visual identity. This identity mirrors that of Beam Global Spirits & Wine, utilizing the same quality seal incorporating the single letter "B."

Beam Global Spirits & Wine and Beam Wine Estates conducted research among a cross-section of customers and employees prior to moving ahead with a name change. There was overwhelming support for changing the company names and for developing a corporate image that better reflects the company's new status and position in the marketplace. Beam Global Spirits & Wine engaged the Chicago office of corporate identity development firm VSA Partners to create the visual identity. Beam Global Spirits & Wine will transition its new identity onto internal and external materials in the first quarter of 2006. The corporate website address has changed to www.beamglobal.com, effective immediately, and Beam Wine Estates will launch a new website in June at www.beamwineestates.com. An interim site for the company is live at that address effective immediately.

Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc. is the fourth largest spirits company in the world. With nine of the world's top-100 premium spirits in its portfolio, the company's brands hold global and national leadership positions in key categories, including Jim Beam(R) bourbon; Canadian Club(R) Canadian whisky; Courvoisier(R) cognac; Laphroaig(R) Scotch; Sauza(R) tequila; Larios(R) gin; Whisky DYC(R); Teacher's(R) Scotch; and DeKuyper(R) cordials. The portfolio also includes Maker's Mark(R) bourbon, Knob Creek(R) bourbon and The Small Batch Bourbon Collection(R), and Starbucks(TM) Liqueurs. Beam Wine Estates is a top-five super-premium wine company in the U.S., featuring Clos du Bois(R), the number two super-premium U.S. wine brand, and the award-winning Geyser Peak(R). Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc. is part of Fortune Brands, Inc., a $7 billion leading consumer brands company.

Beam Wine Estates is a fine wine company whose portfolio consists of leading wineries and brands from California's most prominent wine regions, as well as fortified wines from Europe. California brands include Clos du Bois(R) and Geyser Peak(R) in Sonoma County's Alexander Valley; Wild Horse(R) in the Central Coast; Gary Farrell(R) from the Russian River Valley; Buena Vista(R) in Carneros; Atlas Peak(R) and William Hill(R) in Napa; Haywood(R) and Canyon Road(R); as well as Jake's Fault(R) Shiraz and XYZin(R) in ultra-premium Zinfandel. The company owns and markets two of the world's leading fortified wines, Cockburn's(R) from Portugal, and Harveys(R) Bristol Cream(R), from Spain, and is the U.S. distribution agent for Wattle Creek Winery. Beam Wine Estates, Inc. is part of Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc.

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