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Top 10 spirits marketing moves in March 2020
By Owen BellwoodLast month’s most notable marketing campaigns included Haig Club’s partnership with David Beckham‐backed football team Inter Miami CF, and female-focused initiatives from mixer brands Double Dutch and Fentimans.
Former football star David Beckham is one of the founding partners of single grain Scotch brand Haig Club
Last month, Jameson Irish whiskey celebrated St Patrick’s Day (17 March) with a trek to the “world’s most remote pub”, while tonic water producer Fentimans marked International Women’s Day (8 March) with the launch of its new female-inspired campaign.
In sporting news, Peaky Blinder Irish Whiskey backed racing driver Declan Jones’ entry into the 2020 Ginetta GT4 Super Cup Championship, and Rooster Rojo Tequila renewed its sponsorship of the J2‐Racing motorsports endurance team for a fourth year.
Glenmorangie Scotch whisky pledged to save giraffes through a new global conservation partnership, and Canaïma Gin teamed up with local charities to support Amazonian communities.
Over the following pages, we name our pick of the top marketing initiatives launched in March 2020.
Glenmorangie
Glenmorangie has agreed a three‐year global conservation partnership to help save giraffes. The Highland distillery has the tallest stills in Scotland, reaching the same height as an adult male giraffe, hence the connection.
Giraffe numbers have fallen 30% in 30 years, so to protect the species, Glenmorangie has partnered with the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS).
Thomas Moradpour, president and chief executive of The Glenmorangie Company, said: “Over time, this majestic animal has become a beloved symbol of our brand. It seems only right that we should channel our passion for this animal into our new global conservation partnership with GCF and RZSS.”
Peaky Blinder Irish Whiskey
Halewood Wines & Spirits‐owned Sadler’s Brewing Co has partnered with racing driver Declan Jones to sponsor his entry into the 2020 Ginetta GT4 Super Cup Championship.
As part of the deal, Jones’ 2020 G55 GT4 Super Cup car, number 69, has been wrapped with Sadler’s Peaky Blinder Irish Whiskey branding.
The new livery was unveiled at the season opener at Donington Park, UK, on 28 March.
Chris Dew, marketing manager for Sadler’s Brewing Co, said: “Stepping into the fast lane with Declan Jones at the BTCC [British Touring Car Championship] weekends provides an incredible platform to showcase Sadler’s Peaky Blinder Irish Whiskey to a huge audience of over 40,000 trackside spectators and over a million at‐home viewers worldwide.”
A Peaky Blinder Irish Whiskey hospitality bus is scheduled to be present on race days, offering samples to spectators.
Sailor Jerry
Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum has relaunched clothing and merchandise platform sailorjerryclothing.com. The site will donate 10% of sales of selected products to United Service Organizations (USO).
The newly designed website features products such as apparel, games, bar equipment and drinkware, each showcasing imagery inspired by the artwork of Norman ‘Sailor Jerry’ Collins.
Sailor Jerry national brand ambassador Ashley Thomas said: “We are stoked for the relaunch of sailorjerryclothing.com and to share some of the dopest Sailor Jerry gear we’ve ever released.
“People are always after my Sailor Jerry merch, and now with sailorjerryclothing.com they can stock up for themselves.”
Canaïma Gin
A team from Canaïma Gin has returned from a trip into the Amazon rainforest where it supported local communities as part of its CRS programme.
The brand partners with local foundations such as Tierra Viva to support Amazonian communities. On its latest visit to the rainforest, Canaïma visited the communities of Sagaray and Wakajarita in the Orinoco Delta, on the banks of Caño Manamo.
Canaïma invests 10% of its sales into the preservation of tribes in the Amazon, and donations have supported traditional housing construction.
José Ballesteros, CEO of Diplomático Rum and Canaïma Gin, said: “This project fills us with enthusiasm in knowing that we are contributing our grain of sand to socially and economically support these valuable and often forgotten communities.”
Double Dutch
Tonic water and mixer producer Double Dutch launched a scholarship and mentoring programme for female bartenders to support women looking to build a career in the on‐trade.
As part of the programme, Double Dutch partnered with bartenders to offer hands‐on training and share their industry knowledge with the successful female applicants.
The twin female founders of Double Dutch, Joyce and Raissa de Haas, will offer their time and expertise through one‐to‐one mentoring sessions.
The initiative launched with a brunch centred around the theme ‘Breaking barriers: How to thrive as a woman in hospitality’.
Speakers included: Hannah Sharman‐Cox and Siobhan Payne of Drink Up London; Agnieszka Josko, F&B Operations Manager at Flemings Mayfair; and Anna Sebastian, bar manager of Artesian.
Haig Club
Diageo-owned Haig Club has become the ‘official whisky’ of David Beckham‐backed football team Inter Miami CF. The former football star is also one of the founding partners of the single grain Scotch brand.
The sponsorship agreement follows the launch of line extension Haig Club Clubman in Miami.
“I’m so excited that Haig Club is launching in Miami,” Beckham said. “Miami is like a second home for me; it’s a city that has welcomed me with open arms – the energy and the people are all amazing. Launching Inter Miami CF this year is a really proud moment for me and to have Haig Club be a part of that is really special.”
The partnership debuted on 14 March, when Inter Miami played against LA Galaxy at the Fort Lauderdale Stadium.
Fentimans
To mark International Women’s Day (8 March), botanically brewed mixer brand Fentimans launched the She is Fearless campaign to celebrate the women that “inspire and drive the drinks industry”.
The campaign, which ran throughout March, invited people working in the industry to nominate women whose individual actions, behaviours and mindsets have contributed to making a difference in the world of drinks and hospitality.
All nominees received a Fentimans She is Fearless award at their place of work. Through this campaign, Fentimans hopes to share the achievements of women from a wide range of diverse roles, both from within the company and throughout the industry as a whole.
Jägermeister
Mast-Jaegermeister UK has partnered with food delivery service Deliveroo to help UK drinkers plan their “virtual big nights in”.
The Jägermeister X Deliveroo partnership offers consumers the opportunity to create fun occasions at home, and includes 200,000 special edition bottles of Jägermeister and Jägermeister Cold Brew Coffee that offer buyers the chance to redeem £5 (US$6) credit when spending £20 (US$24) with the online delivery service.
There will be 200 chances for consumers to win an extra £50 worth of credit to spend with Deliveroo and bottles of Jägermeister will be available for purchase with free delivery through the brand’s online shop.
Jameson
To celebrate St Patrick’s Day (17 March), Jameson travelled to the “world’s highest Irish bar” in Namche Bazaar, Nepal. A team of Jameson fans journeyed to the bar, which is located 3,440m above sea level.
The “world’s most remote Irish pub” in Namche Bazaar is deep in the Himalayan mountains in a spot that is often the last stop adventurers make before trekking to Everest Base Camp.
The brand’s trek to the bar follows the release of Jameson’s annual St Patrick’s Day bottling, which was this year designed by illustrator Stephen ‘Hephee’ Heffernan.
Rooster Rojo Tequila
Amber Beverage Group‐owned Rooster Rojo Tequila has renewed its sponsorship of the J2‐Racing motorsports endurance team for a fourth year.
As part of the agreement, the team’s Mercedes‐AMG GT3 has had a “dynamic redesign” ahead of the year’s races, to be held at the Nürburgring track in Germany.
The Rooster Rojo J2‐Racing team will this year compete in the VLN and ADAC 24‐hour endurance races with drivers John Shoffner and Janine Hill.
Mantas Zlatkus, global brand director of Rooster Rojo Tequila, said: “We are delighted that, for the fourth year in a row, Rooster Rojo will be side by side with John and Janine, participating in this season’s races. As well as extending our collaboration, we are extremely excited about the new design of the car, which is more dynamic and eye‐catching than ever.”