Creative Industry Promotions – Part II

Heineken, Grand Marnier, Bombay Sapphire, Southern Comfort and DonQ have launched new advertising and marketing campaigns in recent months that go beyond traditional advertising and promotions. From event sponsorships to immersive websites, they’ve been busy creating new content for consumers.

Here’s more of what beverage alcohol brands are working on to attract consumer attention, increase brand recognition and drive sales in a competitive marketplace.

Spirit Buzz at The Cherry

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In order to build awareness of its new limited edition Grand Marnier Cherry launching in September, the House of Marnier-Lapostolle created a digital hub called ‘€œThe Cherry.’€ Located at www.grandmarniercherry.com, the site is a virtual VIP club that will eventually merge with advertising and content partners like Maxim to drive traffic.

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The site consists of a number of sections, each offering a unique digital experience, including Knot or Not (an interactive guessing game), Diction-cherry (comedic content centered around cherry terminology and nightlife lingo) and Round of Drinks (cocktail recipes). When the limited edition product launches, it will be available for a suggested retail price of $41.99 for a 750-ml. bottle.

Saluting the Ultimate Mixers

Puerto Rico’€™s Don Q recently announced the winners of its 2012 Ultimate Mix Off Finals, a mixology event supported by the US Bartenders Guild. The finals were held at the Andaz Hotel and the top five finalists received a trip to Puerto Rico, a VIP tour of the Destileria Serralles in Ponce, and will be featured in Don Q’€™s holiday mixology video.

The five finalists and their representative cocktails were (in order of how they placed):

  1. Dev Johnson (New York) ‘€“ The Jones Act
  2. Julio Cabrera (Miami) ‘€“ Sandia del Batey
  3. J.R. Starkus (Las Vegas) ‘€“ Lonely Planet
  4. Sheridan Fay (Houston) ‘€“ Coqui Monster
  5. Nicole Tyler (Reno) ‘€“ Rico Suave

Tapping Into Bartenders’€™ Imagination

Earlier this year, Bombay Sapphire hosted a bartender competition in Morocco to find the World’€™s Most Imaginative Bartender. The winner was selected from thousands of contestants, who were whittled down to eight finalists. After a four-day competition that included an exploration of historic gin, David Wolowidnyk of Canada was declared the winner for his original cocktail, the Beldi.

His recipe can be found below:

45-ml. Bombay Sapphire infused with Moroccan Saffron and Ginseng

20-ml. Martini Bianco

1 tsp. Moroccan Mint Tea

15-ml. Cinnamon/Cassia syrup

2 dashes Lem-Marrakech Bitters

Misting: Toasted Moroccan coriander tincture

Garnish: Lemon zest, with the star from the Moroccan flag cut into it

Combine Bombay Sapphire, Martini Bianco, syrup and bitters. Stir with ice into a mixing glass. Mist the toasted coriander tincture into the chilled glass. Strain into a chilled glass, garnish with lemon zest and mist again over the surface.

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