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Top 10 spirits marketing campaigns in January 2018

Last month in spirits marketing: Hennessy joined forces with rapper A$AP Ferg, Grey Goose created cocktails for the Sundance Film Festival, and three Antarctic explorers enjoyed a dram of whisky on a trek to the South Pole.

Last month in spirits marketing A$AP Ferg teamed up with Hennessy Cognac

Even in the spirits world, January is anything but quiet. Last month saw Astral Tequila launch its first creative campaign starring actor and pop culture icon Jonathan Goldsmith, while Campari America developed the ‘world’s first’ smart fridge magnet.

In sporting news, Rooster Rojo Tequila was named the official sponsor of the J2 racing team, and Scotch whisky distillery Glen Moray became the official whisky partner of Edinburgh Rugby.

Click through to the following pages to discover our pick of the top 10 spirits marketing campaigns launched in January 2018.

Ardgowan Distillery

Three Antarctic explorers enjoyed the most southerly dram of whisky in the world on a trek to the South Pole, when their equipment was powered only by renewable energy.

Barney Swan, Kyle O’Donoghue and Martin Barnett took whisky from the Ardgowan Distillery in Scotland with them on their expedition. It is thought to be the first whisky to make it to the pole.

The team took two flasks of whisky on their expedition, one to drink and the other to bring back to Scotland where it will make up part of a limited­-edition bottling of Ardgowan whisky.

Campari America

Campari America has partnered with near-­field communication (NFC) expert Thinfilm to develop the ‘world’s first’ smart fridge magnet.

The magnet will make it easier for consumers to order Campari America products straight to their homes.

Drinks fans can tap their smartphone against the fridge magnet, which will direct them to US drinks delivery app Drizly.

Melanie Batchelor, vice-­president of marketing for Campari America, said: “We’ve streamlined the purchasing experience for consumers, so now ordering and receiving Campari America’s brands is almost easier than making a Negroni.”

Strike Spirits

Strike Spirits has partnered with marketing company Strike Ten Entertainment to produce a range of ten­pin bowling-­inspired drinks.

The American spirits producer will launch its new range – which includes a dark rum, light rum, vodka, whiskey, Tequila and gin – in bottles shaped to resemble bowling pins.

Josh King, CEO of Strike Spirits, said: “By combining some of the highest­-quality spirits products available with our custom­-designed bowling pin bottles, we are paying tribute to the sport of bowling.”

One Gin

British gin brand One Gin was the gin supplier of choice at this year’s National Television Awards.

On the night, the UK-­based craft gin brand served the One Sage Smash cocktail alongside a classic G&T and One Origins, a botanically infused spring water range.

Ian Spooner, managing director of The Spirit of One, said: “We were honoured to be selected as the gin partner for the National Television Awards and excited to serve One Gin to such a talented audience.”

Each bottle of One Gin sold helps fund water projects in the world’s poorest communities.

Astral Tequila

Astral Tequila has launched its first creative campaign, called This Calls For Tequila, starring actor and pop culture icon Jonathan Goldsmith.

The campaign sees Goldsmith bending a spoon with his mind, holding his breath for one hour and receiving a best actor award for a not­-yet-released movie.

Master sommelier and Astral founder Richard Betts said: “It’s been exciting for me to work with Jonathan and to share our dream with so many people.”

Goldsmith was previously known for his role as The Most Interesting Man in the World in commercials for the Dos Equis beer brand.

Rooster Rojo

Rooster Rojo Tequila has become the main sponsor of the J2 Racing team.

The Amber Beverage Group-owned brand will be the team’s primary sponsor for the full 2018 VLN season, in a partnership that will see Rooster Rojo reach sports enthusiasts worldwide. The deal, which will also cover the ADAC Zurich 24­hour race, held at Germany’s iconic Nürburgring racetrack, is the first global sponsorship deal on this scale to promote the Tequila brand.

Amber Beverage Group chose to publicise the brand through motorsport as it “resonates very well with the bold, confident, independent and exceptional personality of Rooster Rojo Tequila”.

Grey Goose

Luxury French vodka brand Grey Goose was the official vodka of this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

The brand created a signature cocktail for the event, The Main Street, and played host to a number of famous faces at pop­up bar the Grey Goose Blue Door.

The vodka maker hosted after­parties for some of the festival’s biggest releases, including Burden, starring Forest Whitaker, and Hearts Beat Loud, which features Nick Offerman. The Blue Door also saw appearances from stars such as Maggie Gyllenhaal, who stars in The Kindergarten Teacher, and Jim Parsons (pictured), from A Kid Like Jake.

Glen Moray

Glen Moray has become the official whisky partner of Edinburgh Rugby.

The partnership between the Scotch distillery and the Scottish capital’s rugby club will see Glen Moray’s logo appear on players’ shorts, while its whisky will be on sale in the stadium for the next three years.

Jordan Knight, Glen Moray’s UK marketing manager, said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Edinburgh and to be a part of their journey. We look forward to working with them on some exciting projects and supporting them on and off the pitch.”

Hennessy

New York rapper A$AP Ferg has collaborated with Hennessy on a creative campaign.

The collaboration has seen A$AP Ferg produce a creative campaign video, release an exclusive track called Family, and create a cocktail called The Uptown. The campaign video, created by Ferg and Cognac house Hennessy, tracks the star’s progress from his beginnings in Harlem to his rise to fame as part of hip hop collective A$AP Mob.

In the video, Ferg shares his creative process as well as his love of other pursuits, such as painting

Pinkster

Pinkster has launched a limited­-edition Valentine’s Day bottling of its ‘iconic’ pink gin.

The edition features an arrow­-pierced heart with the strapline ‘Let the love be gin’. It follows last year’s limited-edition bottle, which contributed to the brand’s 335% sales uplift on the previous year.

Will Holt, marketing director at Pinkster, said: “It’s a perfect storm of Valentine’s huge gifting potential, the nation’s thirst for gin showing no sign of slowing, and millennial pink seemingly all the rage.”

Only 5,000 bottles of the special edition will be made, and sales will be supported by marketing activities, including Valentine’s­-themed cocktail recipes and a 30­-second ‘raspberry romance’ animated video.

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