Friendship is Golden

Bacardi Gold brand is launching a new multi-million dollar three-year sponsorship deal between Bacardi U.S.A and the NBA. This is the first marketing campaign focusing on the Gold brand since the 1970s.

The tagline of the campaign is "Friendship is Golden" and features guys hanging out together watching NBA games while drinking Bacardi Gold. It is the first time any of the four major sports have signed a league-wide deal with a spirits company. Its an example of the changing face of sports marketing and spirits companies are working to appeal to an audience that was once reserved for the beer industry.

``The embrace of the NBA of spirits can be a real tipping factor in terms of what consumers think about when they drink alcoholic beverages,'' said Tom Pirko of BevMark, a beverage consulting firm.

Bacardi is also incorporating scholarships into its campaign and will provide more than

$100,000 per year to fund the new Gold Standard Scholarship Program in partnership with the

Thurgood Marshall College Fund and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund. It will lend its support to

the WNBA Inspiring Women Program and host an NBA D-League fantasy camp as well.