Diageo's Facebook Deal Gets Real In Time for Holidays

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Diageo brands are lighting up Facebook like lights on a Christmas tree. The liquor company's ads have been appearing on the social site with striking regularity, suggesting its multi-million dollar deal with Facebook in early autumn has gone full-throttle.

The ClickZ News team has spotted numerous Diageo ads in the last two days alone. Many encourage "likes" and often pitch holidays season copy for the following brands: Johnnie Walker, Captain Morgan, Smirnoff, Ketel One, Baileys, Tanqueray, and Jose Cuervo.

The ads seem to be aimed at Facebook users of drinking age who had "liked" other alcohol brands, as well as their friends on the social site. Norwalk, CT-based Diageo declined to be interviewed for this story.

Diageo certainly isn't the only spirits marketer to befriend Facebook. For instance, our team has also spotted holidays ads for Brown-Forman brands Jack Daniel's and Canadian Mist. Jack Daniel's also has been aggressive with social media ads for its Tennessee Honey product during the last several months.

Heineken, which has been running Facebook ads for its flagship product during much of 2011, is also buying holidays season inventory on the social site for its Dos Equis property. Last week, the Dutch brewer entered into a significant partnership with Facebook.

Lastly, if Diageo's claims are any indication of how Facebook ads perform, it's no wonder alcohol competitors are increasingly using them. In September, Diageo said an in-house five-brand study showed that Facebook ads were increasing sales by 20 percent. The company also stated its brands have seen Facebook likes/fans increase from a total of 3.5 million to 12 million in the last year.

Here are some of the holiday-themed liquor ads, including for Diageo, that have populated Facebook this week: