For more information: ​ Hannah Benabdallah 774-270-0824 [email protected]

CHOLULA APPOINTS VIRTUE LEAD CREATIVE AGENCY & HOSTS CELEBRITY-PACKED FUNDRAISING TACOTHON

The brand’s first project with Virtue aims to raise money for independent restaurants with an Instagram Live Tacothon

NBA stars Dwyane Wade & Victor Oladipo, Actress Sophia Bush, Chefs Tom Colicchio, Christina Tosi, and Aarón Sánchez all participating in the cause ​

May 4, 2020 - Brooklyn, NY - Today, Cholula Hot Sauce announced that Virtue, the ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ creative agency born from VICE, has been appointed as the brand’s lead creative agency. ​ ​

Virtue will spearhead the strategic and creative development of Cholula’s brand marketing efforts across the North America region.

The two are kicking off their partnership with a virtual Tacothon, raising money for ​ ​ ​ independent restaurants that have been heavily impacted by COVID-19. ​

Miguel Leal, Chief Marketing Officer, Cholula Food Company said: “When we sought ​ out to find an agency partner, Virtue’s breakthrough strategy and creative really stood out to us, hitting the nail on the head for the brand. But since then, we’ve been even more impressed with their ability to pivot and adjust with us so quickly, providing creative solutions to our evolving business objectives during this global crisis.”

Krystle Watler, Virtue’s Managing Director, North America said: “This is an especially ​ meaningful one for us at Virtue. It’s not often agencies find brand partners that truly share the same values and have the kind of chemistry we have with the Cholula team. We’re thrilled to kick off our partnership with the Tacothon and look forward to the world seeing more that we create together.”

This appointment is another addition to Virtue’s growing global roster. Most recently Virtue was appointed lead creative agency for IKEA across the European market, along with other recent additions including Procter & Gamble, Canada Goose, and HBO.

Cholula’s Tacothon kicks off on Tuesday, May 5 at 7pm ET on Instagram Live. Celebrity ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ partners will stream live from their own individual Instagram handles. The lineup will include ​ NBA stars Dwyane Wade & Victor Oladipo, actress Sophia Bush, Chefs Tom Colicchio, ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Christina Tosi, Aarón Sánchez, and more, making their secret taco recipes and celebrating ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ with the live audience.

The schedule is as follows: ● 7pm – 8pm ET – Christina Tosi and Victor Oladipo will co-host ​ ​ ​ ​ ● 8pm – 9pm ET – Tom Colicchio and Sophia Bush will co-host ​ ​ ​ ​ ● 9pm – 10pm ET – Aaron Sanchez and Dwyane Wade will co-host ​ ​ ​ ​

Cholula will pledge $1 for every viewer that joins, up to $100,000 (with a minimum contribution of $50K) to help save independent restaurants via saverestaurants.com. The ​ ​ ​ ​ IRC was formed as an effort to save local restaurants affected by COVID-19, founded on the simple belief that there is power to affect legislative change.

Cholula is also working to support local restaurants and front line workers through Operation Taco Tuesday, which brings tacos & Cholula Hot Sauce to medical staff and essential workers at different hospitals each week.

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ABOUT CHOLULA HOT SAUCE Cholula Hot Sauce is the delicious result of a recipe using a blend of arbol and piquin peppers along with a creative mix of and inspired by its rich Mexican heritage. The iconic wooden cap represents the true commitment to craftsmanship behind every product. In addition to the Original recipe, the product line includes five additional varieties – , Green Pepper, Chili , Chili Lime and Sweet , which can be found at retail and in food service establishments nationwide. For more information about Cholula Hot Sauce, check out www.cholula.com.

ABOUT VIRTUE Virtue is the creative agency born from VICE. With presence in 25 countries, Virtue crafts campaigns, platforms, and IP for some of the most important brands on the planet. Using proprietary tools, access, and intelligence, Virtue finds new ways for brands to matter to the world through an entertainment-centric approach that plunges its hooks into audiences’ subconscious and refuses to let go.

Virtue is behind the award winning work Q the Genderless Voice, Carlings adDRESS the Future, Weedmaps’ Museum of Weed, Park MGM’s Las Vegas Love Stories, and Dove’s Dear Future Dads, .

ABOUT VICE MEDIA GROUP VICE Media Group is the world’s largest independent youth media company. Launched in 1994, ​ VICE has offices in 35 cities across the globe with a focus on five key businesses: VICE.com, an award-winning international network of digital content; VICE STUDIOS, a feature film and television production studio; VICE TV, an Emmy-winning international television network; a Peabody award-winning NEWS division with the most Emmy-awarded nightly news broadcast; and VIRTUE, a global, full-service creative agency with 25 offices around the world. VICE Media Group’s portfolio includes Refinery29, the leading global media and entertainment company focused on women; ​ ​ PULSE Films, a London-based next-generation production studio with outposts in Los Angeles, New ​ York, Paris and Berlin; i-D, a global digital and bimonthly magazine defining fashion and ​ ​ contemporary culture; and Garage, a digital platform and biannual publication converging the worlds ​ ​ ​ of art and design.