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Top 10 spirits marketing moves in May 2020

Last month’s most notable marketing campaigns included Hendrick’s Gin’s Pour it Forward initiative to help bartenders, Reyka’s run for charity and Smirnoff’s celebrity-backed social media challenge.

Hendrick’s aims to help 100 bartenders in the US with its Pour it Forward campaign

As consumers stay at home and bars across the world remain shut due to the global coronavirus pandemic, spirits brands had to rethink their marketing strategies and turn their focus to the online channel.

A number of companies pledged its support to the on-trade amid the pandemic, including Hendrick’s Gin with its Pour it Forward campaign and mixer producer Fever-Tree, which offered a series of free online seminars.

Meanwhile, Tequila Cazadores celebrated Mexican festival Cinco de Mayo last month with a campaign that encouraged drinkers to make Tequila‐based cocktails at home while celebrating with friends online.

Over the following pages, we name our pick of the top marketing initiatives launched in May 2020.

Tequila Cazadores

Bacardi-owned Tequila Cazadores launched its Closest Cinco campaign last month with the aim of bringing people together online to celebrate the Mexican festival of Cinco de Mayo on 5 May.

Running on social media, the Closest Cinco campaign encouraged Tequila fans to create and enjoy tacos and Tequila‐based cocktails at home while celebrating with friends online. To help imbibers prepare for the virtual festival, the campaign featured bespoke recipes from Mexican‐born chef and restaurateur Richard Sandoval.

Tequila Cazadores also created a shopping list for cocktail and food ingredients, which was available in the US on delivery service Instacart.

London Essence Co

Tonic water and mixer producer London Essence Co has launched its Cheers to You campaign to raise funds for industry charity The Drinks Trust.

Through the campaign, consumers can donate £10 (US$12) to The Drinks Trust by texting ‘CHEERS2U’ to 70212. Those who donate will be given the chance to win a year’s supply of London Essence Co mixers.

The campaign has also seen the brand collaborate with TV bartender and pub owner Merlin Griffiths to create a series of insider tips‐and‐tricks videos, which are available to view online. London Essence has kick‐started fundraising efforts by pledging £10,000 (US$12,300) to The Drinks Trust Wellbeing Initiative.

The mixer maker will also donate 10% of sales through retailer The Whisky Exchange to the charity.

Bombay Sapphire

Bacardi-owned Bombay Sapphire gin launched a series of online masterclasses as part of its Stir Creativity at Home series.

The series invites consumers to hone their cocktail‐making and illustration skills through a one‐hour workshop. During the first virtual masterclass, bartender Franck Dedieu showed guests how to create two cocktails using Bombay Sapphire gin, while Yu guided guests through the process of drawing their own bold window scene.

The next digital workshop will be held by James Daw.

Reyka Vodka

Reyka Runners, a UK‐wide group of runners from across the hospitality industry, has raised more than £25,500 (US$31,000) for The Drinks Trust charity to support those struggling as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

On 17 May, the nationwide running group hosted its Hospo‐Half, a half‐marathon that saw bartenders, hospitality workers and William Grant & Sons’ employees run 13.1 miles simultaneously.

To date, the total funds raised comprise £8,000 (US$9,840) from donations and £17,000 (US$21,000) double‐matched by the firm’s Matched Giving Scheme.

Fabiano Latham, Reyka Vodka brand ambassador, said: “I’m so proud to be a part of this industry, and also to work for William Grant & Sons.”

Didsbury Gin

Manchester-based Didsbury Gin launched its first out‐of‐home (OOH) advertising campaign after receiving a £10 million (US$12m) advertising fund from media company Ocean Outdoor.

The brand’s Spirit of Life campaign aimed to “capture the spirit of the nation” as it socialised online through the lockdown implemented as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Didsbury Gin’s first OOH campaign featured posters designed by Daniel Bickerton, which used the colours of the brand’s packaging throughout. The posters were displayed in Greater Manchester in the UK from 4 to 16 May.

Didsbury Gin was awarded the funds from Ocean Outdoor after the distiller converted its operations to produce hand sanitiser for key public service providers across Greater Manchester.

Smirnoff

Ahead of Memorial Day Weekend (25 May) in the US, vodka brand Smirnoff recruited a host of celebrities, including Guardians of the Galaxy star Dave Bautista, to launch its latest social media campaign.

In advance of the US holiday, Smirnoff launched the Pass the RWB social media challenge, which encouraged drinkers in the US to film themselves passing a can of Smirnoff Red, White and Berry Seltzer, then share the footage on social media.

The campaign launched with a 30‐second montage video, which featured actor Diane Guerrero, drag icon Alyssa Edwards and Orange is the New Black star Laverne Cox.

Brand owner Diageo created the zero‐sugar hard seltzer iteration of its Smirnoff Red, White and Berry vodka this year.

Fever-Tree

Fever-Tree Canada has launched a series of free online seminars to assist those who are out of work within the food, beverage and hospitality industry.

The webinars run once a week and cover subjects such as how to make the most of transferable skills, maximising online resources, resume and cover letter writing, and interview skills.

Fever‐Tree Canada hopes the seminars will “bring together the hospitality community as a whole”.

Fever‐Tree Canada country manager Kris Steed said: “We wanted to help build a community that could connect people who are out of work with industry leaders.”

Hendrick’s

Gin brand Hendrick’s has launched a social media programme to help bartenders return to work, called Pour it Forward. The campaign comes as part of parent company William Grant & Sons’ Stand Fast Campaign, which was established in the US amid the Covid‐19 pandemic.

The Pour it Forward initiative will see the Hendrick’s ambassador team nominate members of the bartending community to create and post personal videos of their Hendrick’s Gin cocktails on social media.

As well as sharing the recipe online, the bartender will nominate another bartender to do the same, and continue the chain. Each bartender who takes part in the programme will be paid through the Stand Fast Fund.

The Pour it Forward campaign will run until the end of this month, with an aim of helping almost 100 bartenders across the US.

Diageo

Diageo launched its Virtual Good Host Guide to provide tips for people planning their next virtual get‐together. As a result of lockdowns imposed to stem the spread of Covid‐19, imbibers around the world have been forced to find new ways of socialising online.

Through a series of short animations, Diageo’s Virtual Good Host Guide offers a range of top tips that the company hopes will help those organising a virtual celebrations.

The guide includes advice from encouraging hosts to pick a theme for their online celebrations to planning the perfect shared playlist.

Sailor Jerry

Spiced rum brand Sailor Jerry Rum last month launched its Support Your Artist initiative, a global social media campaign aiming to help raise money and awareness for tattoo artists affected by the coronavirus crisis.

As part of the campaign, Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum will pre‐purchase original Sailor Jerry tattoos from 10 artists around the globe with the aim of putting tattoo artists back to work.

Sailor Jerry will give US$1,000 to US‐based tattoo artists including Keith Underwood from Austin Tattoo Company, Michelle Myles from Daredevil and Greg Christian from Tattoo Faction.

The funds will be used to promote and give away original Sailor Jerry tattoos of their choice.

Gemma Kane, Sailor Jerry’s global brand and culture ambassador, said: “True to our brand heritage, this campaign was crafted to honour and support many of those we’re fortunate enough to call our friends and traditional tattoo artists around the globe.”

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