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Top 10 spirits marketing campaigns in January 2017

Last month in spirits marketing: Bacardi joined forces with music trio Major Lazer, Tullamore Dew kicked off a beer-pairing US tour, and Johnnie Walker re-released an American folk song.

Last month in spirits marketing Bacardi joined forces with music trio Major Lazer

For the spirits world, January has been anything but dreary. Last month saw Sipsmith gin serve up classic gin cocktails from the 1920s at a London hotel for the second edition of its Hot Gin Roof pop-up, while vodka brand 42Below enabled bars across Australia and New Zealand to turn used cocktail fruit into liquid soap.

In sports chat, The National Basketball Association named Jack Daniel’s its official marketing partner in a new multi-year partnership. Buffalo Trace Distillery joined the bandwagon as the 2017 official Bourbon of America’s Best Racing, while herbal liqueur brand Jungfrau announced its sponsorship of snow sports and music festival Snowboxx for the third year running.

Click through to the following pages for the top 10 marketing campaigns launched in January 2017.

Beam Suntory

US baseball team the Chicago Cubs has announced Beam Suntory as its official spirits partner in a multi-year deal, which includes the promotion of its Jim Beam Bourbon brand at the Wrigley Field stadium.

The exclusive sponsorship will feature multiple brands from Beam Suntory, including Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Effen Vodka and Hornitos Premium Tequila.

As part of the partnership, Jim Beam will have long-term naming rights to the new first-base club at Wrigley Field, as well as a new left-field bar concept at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona.

The upper deck patio at Wrigley Field will feature a Jim Beam theme for two seasons leading up to the space’s transition to an upper-level club.

The deal also includes in-game signage behind home plate and on the Wrigley Field video board, fixed signage, presenting sponsorship of promotional giveaways; and other activations at Wrigley Field and Sloan Park.

Bacardi

Bacardi has joined forces with music trio Major Lazer to launch ‘The Sound of Rum’ – a creative partnership that aims to bring fans of reggae, dancehall, soca, hip-hop and electronic music together.

The new concept aims to celebrate a global sound that “pays homage to a distinct island vibe with a modern kick” – in line with Bacardi’s Cuban origins and the Caribbean inspiration behind Major Lazer.

“This year for us is all about getting creative,” said DJ and producer Diplo. “We’re down with working with people who want to accelerate what we want to do musically, invest in our ideas, and create cultural moments and memories. Bacardi rum has been in the studios with us for ages and is part of the island vibe that inspires our sound, so the partnership comes from a deeper, more meaningful place.”

Major Lazer’s forthcoming single Run Up is slated to be released in early 2017, supported by a series of music experiences throughout the year.

“We are always exploring new models, but with all collaborations we look for partners who come from similar roots and have similar ambitions,” said Zara Mirza, head of creative excellence for Bacardi. “Perhaps more importantly, Major Lazer saw that we are approaching things differently – searching for creative accomplices – that in this case has resulted in The Sound of Rum.”

Tullamore Dew

William Grant & Sons-owned Tullamore Dew Irish whiskey has launched its ‘Dew and a Brew’ tour in the US to encourage drinkers to pair Irish whiskey with beer.

Tullamore Dew has teamed up with Time Out North America and independent breweries for the tour, which aims to educate drinkers on how different beers complement its whiskey. Led by Tullamore Dew brand ambassador Jane Maher, the tour will include consumer events, special brewery collaborations, bartender education and Tullamore Dew promotions with local beer partners at participating bars and retailers across the country.

The tour will kick off in Los Angeles with Santa Monica Brew Works and finish in Chicago on St. Patrick’s Day (17 March) with a celebration co-hosted with BuckleDown Brewing.

Jungfrau

 Herbal liqueur brand Jungfrau is sponsoring snow sports and music festival Snowboxx, for the third year running. Jungfrau plans to deliver its #discoverthelegend campaign at Snowboxx, tying its activities into the festival, which boasts a series of snow parks, pistes and late-night parties. The campaign is aimed at “delivering the
most amazing life experiences to its thrill-seeking consumers”.

The campaign kicked off in December and January with ‘Après Ski Snow Parties’ at UK universities. The events are designed to give attendees a feel of the Alps, with each venue decorated with snow machines and CO2 cannons. Snowboxx takes place in Avoriaz in France from 18-25 March.

42 Below

Bacardi-owned vodka 42Below has launched a free initiative enabling bars in Australia and New Zealand to turn used cocktail fruit into liquid soap.

As part of the Bacardi Good Spirited initiative, old fruit, including lemons, is collected from participating bars and sent for processing into liquid soap. The resulting soap is then sent back to the bars for use free of charge.

Since its launch in early December 2016, more than 400kgs of fruit waste – representing 3,200 cocktails – has been turned into 20,000 sachets and 400 bottles of liquid soap.

Johnnie Walker

Johnnie Walker has joined forces with soul band Chicano Batman to re-release an American folk song as part of the brand’s Keep Walking America campaign.

Together they have re-recorded Woody Guthrie’s anthem This Land Is Your Land, a song referenced by Johnnie Walker as spoken word during its TV campaign launch in November.

To tie in with the campaign message of “inspiring cultural progress and celebrating America’s rich diversity”, the music video introduces viewers to Chicano Batman’s local community, showcasing “the many cultures that have influenced the band”.

“Having the opportunity to partner with Johnnie Walker to create our own rendition of such an iconic American song is an honour and an incredible milestone in our career,” said Chicano Batman frontman Bardo Martinez.

Buffalo Trace

Buffalo Trace Distillery has been named the 2017 official Bourbon of America’s Best Racing (ABR) – a multimedia fan development platform of The Jockey Club.

ABR has released a multi-part video series titled America’s Native Spirit, which was shot on location in Frankfort, Kentucky, at the family-owned Buffalo Trace Distillery.

Additionally in 2017, ABR will feature Buffalo Trace and some of the distillery’s Bourbons in a monthly video feature highlighting a cocktail of the month on ABR’s digital and social media channels.

“Buffalo Trace is celebrated as one of the most prominent Bourbon brands in the world, and ABR is honoured to enter a partnership with such a prestigious entity,” said Stephen B. Panus, vice president of TJC Media Ventures Inc. “Horses and Bourbon not only share the countryside of Kentucky, but also represent a key part of the lifestyle allure of attracting new fans to our sport.”

Buffalo Trace’s Kris Comstock said: “We’re proud to be associated with ABR.”

Jack Daniel’s

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has named Jack Daniel’s as its official marketing partner in a new multi-year partnership.

Jack Daniels will also be the marketing partner of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), the NBA Development League and USA Basketball.

Jack Daniel’s will kick off the partnership during NBA All-Star 2017 in New Orleans, with hospitality and experiential event, Jack Daniel’s House No. 7.

The event will bring local fans and NBA guests together for musical performances, southern cuisine, and basketball-themed activities. Additionally, Jack Daniel’s will serve as a partner of the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game.

“We are thrilled to be entering into this partnership and look forward to a mutually beneficial relationship with the NBA for years to come,” said John Higgins, VP Jack Daniel’s brand director for North America.

Sipsmith

The team behind Sipsmith gin has joined forces with London’s Ham Yard Hotel to launch the second edition of its Hot Gin Roof pop-up. The two companies are inviting cocktail lovers to join them for a hot gin experience on the hotel’s roof terrace.

Sipsmith master distiller Jared Brown and Ham Yard Hotel bar manager Eoin Kenny have collaborated to create classic gin cocktails from the 1920s. Guests will have the opportunity to taste a number of creations, from the Hot Negroni, made using Sipsmith London Dry Gin, to the Hot Reverse Martini and returning signature favourite the Hot G&T.

Brown said: “Sipsmith is a celebration of where the old meets the new, with the spirit of London’s gin heritage at its core. I’ve been delving deep into the history books for inspiration.

Hot Gin Roof will run until Tuesday 14 February in timed sessions.

Drinkaware

Alcohol education charity Drinkaware is working with supermarket giant Asda to help families make better choices about their drinking.

Drinkaware ambassadors will be present in 100 UK Asda stores to talk to customers and answer questions about alcohol consumption.

Asda customers will have the opportunity to complete a quick alcohol assessment using scratch cards. They will also be offered materials to take home, including a unit-measure cup and calorie wheel, to help them understand more about what’s in their drinks and how they should be poured.

Parents will be provided with information about the risks of under-age drinking and how to talk to their children about alcohol. Drinkaware ambassadors will also be on hand to give helpful hints and tips to support customers wishing to drink a little less at home.

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