New Sun Nutrition joined forces with the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) to help raise funds to support the LAF’s programs by providing 10 cents for every case of its FRS healthy energy drink in cans. FRS product packaging will feature the Livestrong logo, and FRS print advertising, Web site and other marketing materials will include the Livestrong yellow wristband to help raise awareness of the LAF and its fight against cancer.  

Modeled after the building that graces its label, Stolichnaya opened the Stoli Hotel in Los Angeles early last month. The 10,000-square-foot hotel, inspired by the Hotel Moskva in Moscow, is said to incorporate Stolichnaya’s heritage as well as qualities of modern metropolitan hotels. Additional Stoli Hotels may be planned for New York City, Chicago and Miami, according to the brand’s parent company Pernod Ricard. For a peek at its interior as well as a calendar of events, visit stolihotel.com.

Jones Soda Co. is providing more vitamins than those included in its new 24C vitamin-enhanced water — the company is supporting the Vitamin Angels charity. Throughout the year, the company will provide support for Operation 20/20, which is an effort to eradicate childhood blindness due to vitamin A deficiency. The deficiency affects between 100 million and 140 million children annually, and of those, as many as 500,000 will go blind. Jones Soda is donating time and financial resources to provide vitamin A supplements to 1 million children in developing and impoverished countries. Funds will be raised through contributions from 24C, the myjones.com Web site, an under-the-cap program and viral marketing campaign.

Miller Lite launched its first Hispanic Web site as part of its overall sponsorship of the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament. Millerlitelatino.com will be the brand’s online hub and will house all future Miller Lite Hispanic promotions, interactive content, product information and advertising. Miller Lite also has developed an online game, Mission: Fútbol, in which legal-drinking-age consumers select the country they want to represent and create their own avatar. Their avatar will start outside a stadium where a Gold Cup match is about to begin, with the objective of getting from outside the stadium to their seat as fast as possible while trying to achieve the highest score. From May through July, the brand will provide content and have an advertising presence on the Yahoo! Telemundo Juegos and Yahoo! Games sites, as well as on Yahoo! Telemundo’s Copa de Oro mini-site.

Ardea Beverage Co., Minneapolis, maker of Airforce Nutrisoda, announced that tri-athlete and Ironman competitor Jay Hewitt will be its national spokesman for diabetes awareness. Ardea has made diabetes awareness a significant part of its marketing program, and Hewitt, who has been living with Type 1 diabetes since 1991, was motivated to begin racing because of the disease. Hewitt has posted health and wellness tips on the Airforce Nutrisoda Web site, nutrisoda.com, which are viewable by going to the health and wellness link and clicking on diabetes.

Pernod Ricard USA, Purchase, N.Y., hopes to introduce a long-standing British tradition — the “sharp’ner,” which is London slang for a quick and social drink at the start of the evening — into the American lexicon. In order to make “sharp’ner” part of the U.S. language, Beefeater Gin has launched a nationwide campaign to lobby dictionaries to officially adopt the word. Beefeater Gin hopes to ensure the use of the word through repeated mentions in a broad range of outlets over an extended period of time. Consumers can add their names to an online petition at houseofbeefeater.com.

Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Deerfield, Ill., partnered its Canadian Club brand with XM Satellite radio and launched the “Party with Canadian Club and XM” sweepstakes. One lucky race fan will win $10,000 to host a party with as many as 100 of their closest friends, as well as Canadian Club IndyCar driver Dario Franchitti and his teammates Danica Patrick, Tony Kanaan and Bryan Herta. In addition, XM will provide an XM DJ to handle the music.

The Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co., Chippewa Fall, Wis., teamed with Jennie-O Turkey Store, to serve up a fully cooked, heat-and-serve turkey bratwurst seasoned with Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat. The grilling favorite has been infused with Leinenkugel’s Belgian wit style beer that features a citrus character and coriander, a complementary flavor also found in bratwurst. The Leinenkugel’s Jennie-O Turkey Store Turkey Beer Bratwurst will be available nationwide, but is targeted toward the Upper Midwest — the nation’s largest market for bratwursts and Leinenkugel’s beer.

Glacéau, Whitestone, N.Y., announced Smartwater has partnered with Jennifer Aniston, who will be the official face of the brand in upcoming ad campaign shot by Mario Testino. This marks Aniston’s first U.S. brand association. As part of the partnership with Smartwater, Aniston co-created a limited-edition Smartwater label, which will be available in stores nationwide in July. Aniston’s advertising campaign for Smartwater will be seen on billboards and print publications this summer.