Southern Comfort sets sights on UK for 2017

Sazerac-owned Southern Comfort has cemented plans to boost its UK presence next year with the launch of a festive campaign bearing the strap line, ‘A Warm Southern Welcome to 2017′.

Using the strapline ‘A Warm Southern Welcome to 2017′, the campaign marks the first above-the-line support for the brand

Developed by creative agency Kemosabe, the campaign marks the first above-the-line support for the brand since its move to UK distribution by Hi-Spirits earlier this year.

Amanda Watkins, Hi-Spirits marketing director, said: “This campaign showcases how serious we are about taking the Southern Comfort brand to the next level in the UK market. We are focusing on dialling up our New Orleans heritage, and our impactful festive campaign is aimed at helping consumers move out of a turbulent year and into a year of new opportunities in true New Orleans style.”

The campaign will include further media placements and run across key cities in the UK including London, Manchester and Glasgow.

The “light hearted and comfortable-yet-confident” message will be seen on Piccadilly Circus’s digital wall, panels across the TFL London Underground and Bus Network and digital screens at Manchester Printworks and St. Enoch, Glasgow.

The output includes a combination of out-of-home media executions, social media and branded live events.

The marketing push follows the brand’s #TanYourLemonade campaign last summer to raise brand awareness and drive sales of its new signature serve.

The new campaign is a change in direction for the brand and will focus on driving more “authentic and meaningful connections” with target consumers, and collaborating with retailers, bars and pubs that support the brand.

In October, Sazerac CEO Mark Brown hinted at a significant change for the group’s newly acquired Southern Comfort brand, claiming “flavours are not the correct direction”.