Why Do You Hate Valentine's Day?; 27% of Americans believe Valentine's Day Is a Fake Holiday Engineered by Card Companies and Florists.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Why is it that Valentine's Day can be a big drag, putting pressure on people to buy flowers and candies as an expression of love while leaving the single set at home drowning their sorrows in a gallon of ice cream? For most people, the holiday turns into a real pain in the neck (or some other body part). Now, Amarula Cream Liqueur wants to hear about why you hate Valentine's Day, and one lucky person submitting their reason or story will win a trip to Chicago, the site of the notorious St. Valentine's Day Massacre on February 14, 1929.

"Valentine's Day is one of the most annoying and cliche holidays of the year, seducing people into thinking the way to someone's heart is through material things," said Amarula National Brand Manager, Meghan Murray. "In fact, nearly one-third (27%) of Americans complained Valentine's Day is simply a fake holiday engineered by card companies and florists."

This is your opportunity to speak out against the injustices of Valentine's Day. Fourteen entries will be chosen based on creativity and uniqueness from which one lucky winner will receive a trip for two for a two-night, three-day stay in Chicago, including airfare, hotel accommodations and $500 cash ($3,000 value). Chicago is home to the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, during which Al Capone and his crew attempted to take out George "Bugs" Moran. Unfortunately for Capone (but lucky for Moran!), Bugs escaped harm because he was running late. (See, sometimes being chronically late is a good thing.)

Knowing that many people are bummed out by Valentine's Day, Amarula sponsored the Not So Sweethearts Survey(1) to get the real scoop:

--More than half (51%) of Americans would not be upset if their significant other skipped Valentine's Day this year.

--Nearly half (46%) of Americans think "Roses or chocolate are too generic to really show someone you care about them."

--3 out of 4 (76%) of Americans stress out about various Valentine's gift-giving pitfalls such as "Buying something for my significant other to wear and having it be the wrong size." Nearly half (46%) feel that "candy and flowers are soooo boring but they don't know what else to get."

Consumers have until Feb. 4 to submit their reason or story about why they hate Valentine's Day. Each submission must include an Amarula cocktail recipe. Entries may be sent in at www.amarulacream.com/valentinescontest or mailed to Amarula Valentine's Day Contest, Attn: Sean Wachsman, 850 Dixie Highway, Louisville, KY 40210. This contest is only open to U.S. residents 21 years or older. Void in California and where prohibited. See Official Rules at www.amarulacream.com/valentinescontest.

Amarula Cream Liqueur is a delicious blend of oak-aged marula fruit spirit and nature's freshest cream giving hints of chocolate, caramel and butterscotch flavors. A 750ml bottle of Amarula has a suggested retail price of $23. For more information about Amarula Cream Liqueur, please visit www.amarula.com.

Amarula is a rare find. Appreciate it accordingly. Amarula Cream Liqueur, 17% ABV, is one of the fine spirits marketed and distributed by Brown-Forman Corporation, a diversified producer and marketer of fine quality consumer products, including Jack Daniel's, Canadian Mist, Southern Comfort, Finlandia Vodka, Fetzer and Bolla Wines, Korbel California Champagnes, and Hartmann Luggage.

(1) The Not So Sweethearts Survey was conducted by Kelton Research interviewing 1,000 U.S. residents 21 years of age and older. Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. In this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3.1 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.