Rap star and entrepreneur Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and Diageo have jointly acquired DeLeón tequila for an undisclosed price from California’s Quench Enterprise. Diddy has had a successful partnership with Diageo, when he became the face of Ciroc vodka in 2007. That joint marketing and profit-sharing deal has brought a near 40% rise in annual sales volumes for the Ciroc brand.
“With Ciroc, we dated. Now with DeLeon, we’re married,” Combs said in an interview. “This deal is way better. This makes me a true owner.”
“Sean was exposed to DeLeón in the world of entertainment. He loved the packaging, thought it was the ultimate lifestyle accessory and fell in love with the product,” said Larry Schwartz, president of Diageo in North America. “He came to me and I started looking at it in the same way.”
DeLeón tequila variants range in price from $120 to $1,000 per ultra-premium bottle.
“Expanding our relationship with Sean Combs into tequila was a natural choice given Sean’s ability to galvanize support for luxury brands, as we’ve seen with our work together on Ciroc,” Schwartz added. “Ultra-premium and above tequila is a very exciting segment – we already have a strong brand there with Don Julio and are pleased to complement that offering with DeLeon.”
Combs stated that he was excited about the new partnership with Diageo and the future of the DeLeón brand.
“Celebration is a cornerstone of all my businesses, and this joint venture is a natural extension of that portfolio,” Combs said. “DeLeón is an outstanding brand that appeals to those who love exceptional tequila in a distinctive bottle. Together with Diageo, we will take DeLeón to new heights.”
The world’s biggest distilled drinks company, Diageo’s portfolio includes Johnnie Walker Scotch, Smirnoff vodka, Tanqueray, Guinness and many more.
