Dr. Dre’s “Detox” To Have Its Day… As Soon As The Dre-Branded Cognac Comes Out

noah | August 5, 2008 3:00 am

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Could a press release from Drinks Americas Holdings, the beverage company that has a joint venture with Universal Music Group to develop beverages of the alcoholic and virgin varieties around the record company’s artists, have offered business-page readers an inside line on a possible release date for Dr. Dre’s years-in-the-making Detox? A press release issued today by the company claims that not only will Dre’s branded cognac and sparkling vodka be released to the marketplace sometime within the next 60 days, said product launches will go hand-in-hand with the release of Detox, courtesy of a “fully integrated marketing program.” I guess the plan is to get drunk on the liquor, and then detox with… oh, you know. The relevant chunk of the release is after the jump.

The Company has completed the development, formulation, packaging and branding for the first spirits products arising out of its joint venture with Universal’s Interscope Geffen A&M Records. It is anticipated that the first of these products, a premium cognac through the Company’s venture with music icon Dr. Dre and his Aftermath Beverage Company, will be introduced to the market within the next sixty days.

With respect to the production and supply of the Aftermath Cognac, the Company has entered into a letter of intent for the production, supply and European distribution of the cognac with Abecassis Cognac, a producer of premium cognacs. Completion of this agreement will not only give the Company access to a superior and necessary inventory of fine cognac, but calls for the Aftermath Beverage Company brands to be distributed by Abecassis in the European countries in which it is now doing business.

Following the introduction of the Aftermath Cognac, the Company’s joint venture with Interscope/Dre/Aftermath will introduce a unique new line of 80-proof flavored and unflavored sparkling vodkas. The Company, having completed any necessary formulations, bottle and label design, marketing plans, and regulatory approvals, expects that this new line of products will begin to be shipped to distributors within the next sixty days. These products are to be introduced in coordination with the launch of Dr. Dre’s long-awaited “Detox” album, and will be supported by a fully integrated marketing program with the performer and his record company.

The Company has taken note of apparent customer anticipation for the Company’s Aftermath line of alcoholic beverages as evidenced by over one million “Google” mentions in advance of any actual product availability in the marketplace.

Of course, most of those mentions were along the lines of “Why the hell is Dr. Dre concentrating on lending his name to things like sparkling vodkas when he’s had this album hanging over his head for years now,” which might explain the whole coordinated launch idea. Looks like it’s your move, Dr Pepper!

Drinks Americas Announces Fiscal Fourth Quarter and Year-End [BusinessWire via Bloomberg]

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