• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, June 28, 2013

The latest Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey TV spot featuring the "King Bee" -- this time leading a swarm of similarly unstoppable fellow honeybees -- generated more than 10 million impressions via Twitter and Facebook before its recent television debut, according to the company.

The 30-second spot shows the King Bee emerging from a plume of steam on a dark, deserted city street. Other bees appear from all directions, converge and follow the King Bee into a tavern -- where they use their collective bodies to form the word "swarm" on the mirror above a glowing bottle of the JD honey whiskey that's sitting on the bar.

The spot -- which uses The Supremes' song "Honey Bee (Keep on Stinging Me)" as its theme, and was filmed on the Warner Bros. back lot -- was pre-released on Twitter and Facebook prior to airing during the NBA and NHL playoff games, late night TV, and sports and lifestyle programming.

Jack Daniel's and agency Arnold Worldwide created the King Bee, with his biker-like persona, for the honey whiskey's launch campaign in 2011. Those spots' popularity have helped make Jack Daniel's the #1-selling honey-flavored whiskey in the U.S. (per Nielsen data for the 52 weeks ending May 27).

The "Swarm" spot will air three more times during Jack Daniel's parent Brown-Forman's current fiscal year, which started May 1.

Jack Daniel's is also running a "Tennessee Honey Summer Swarm" promotion, through July 29, created by Draftfcb Chicago. 

Those who post photos of their "most awesome" summer moments -- online or using MMS messaging or the promotion's hashtag, #SummerSwarm -- are entered in random drawings for weekly prizes that include branded desk speakers, beach towels and coolers. 

In addition, the submissions are entered into a photo contest with a grand prize of a $5,000 travel-agency voucher to plan "the Ultimate Summer Trip." Entries will be judged on the basis of creativity and "uniqueness" in representing the "swarm," as well the number of popular votes each image draws on the promotion's site/gallery. (Photo-contest voters are also entered in the weekly prize drawings.)