Top drinks marketing campaigns and news stories: August

It was a summer of lucrative sports deals, TV tie-ins and strange bar locations in the wine, beer and spirits industries this August.

(Photo: Jonathan Hordle/PA Wire)

We’ve rounded up our pick of the best activations, lucrative sponsorships and novelty drinks launches, from a pop-up gin bar in an east-London laundrette, to a whisky distillery launching a limited edition bottle in partnership with Netflix Original film Outlaw King.

Click through to see our pick of the marketing campaigns and news of the past month…

Burnley FC swaps Champagne for Bénédictine

In acknowledgement of its longstanding relationship with Bénédictine, Burnley Football Club has replaced Champagne with the French herbal liqueur as the tipple awarded to each man of the match.

The first man of the match presentation after the partnership was announced took place at the start of August. Burnley’s striker Ashley Barnes picked up the prize after his team achieved a 3-0 victory over Southampton.

The liqueur brand, which is flavoured with 27 herbs and spices including saffron and angelica root, was launched in the 19th century and is said to have been made according to a 1510 recipe devised by the Benedictine monk Dom Bernardo Vincelli.

Burnley FC’s home ground, Turf Moor, is the only football stadium in the UK which serves the liqueur. A popular half time serve is the Béné & Hot, a combination of Bénédictine and hot water, with Burnley fans consuming 1,500 bottles of the liqueur last season alone – roughly equating to 30 bottles a match.

The Ivy toasts 50 years of Abbey Road

North London restaurant The Ivy in St John’s Wood has laucnhed a new cocktail menu, dessert, and art installation inspired by The Beatles.

The venue, which is situated in close proximity to Abbey Road studios, is celebrating the golden anniversary of The Beatles’ album, Abbey Road.

Available from Monday 19 August until Sunday 29 September, the special serves are named after iconic songs from the album.

“Here Comes The Sun” is an infusion of Saffron-infused Olmeca Altos Tequila, Earl Grey saké, blood orange puree, fresh orange juice and Earl Grey syrup, and will sit alongside “Golden Slumbers” – which combines Liverpool Valencia Orange Gin, orange juice, hibiscus syrup & Prosecco presented in a gold Champagne flute; “Oh Darling” – mix of lemon, mint, sugar and Fever-Tree soda and Liverpool Dry Gin in a nod to the band’s hometown; and “You Never Give Me Your Money”, a herbaceous concoction of Beluga Vodka, Pino Mugo pine liqueur and Lillet Blanc.

Taittinger sponsors Kings Cup Regatta

Champagne Taittinger was on the podium to mark the inaugural King’s Cup Regatta in Cowes at the start of August.

The yacht race was held to support a number of charitable causes supported by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who were also in attendance skippering boats themselves.

Other captains included historian Dan Snow, comedian John Bishop, Olympian Helen Glover and England football women’s international Fara Williams.

The winning boat, captained by adventurer Bear Grylls, represented the charity Tusk, which supports conservation work in Africa.

As well as a trophy that was previously presented by George V at Cowes’ Royal Yacht Squadron in 1920, the winning team was given a Jeroboam of Taittinger and a bottle for each member while the second (London Air Ambulance) and third-placed boats (Child Bereavement and Centrepoint in joint third), one the latter led by the Duke of Cambridge, were presented with a magnum each.

The Duchess of Cambridge’s boat came last, whereupon she was awarded with a large wooden spoon.

Scotch whisky becomes official Netflix film partner

(Photo: Outlaw King/Netflix)

Lowland distillery Annandale has created a blended Scotch whisky in partnership with a Netflix-original film based on the life of Robert the Bruce.

Outlaw King, which was released in November 2018, follows the life of the 14th century monarch and seventh lord of Annandale, who became one of Scotland’s most famous historical figures after he rebelled against the English monarchy, following the execution of William Wallace.

David Thomson, co-owner of Annandale Distillery, said Annandale Distillery’s location meant that it was “fitting that our Man O’Sword peated single malt should be at the very heart of Outlaw King Blended Scotch Whisky”.

The new blend was unveiled at a screening of the film at Annandale Distillery in August, attended by Outlaw King stars James Cosmo and Tony Curran, director David Mackenzie and producer Gillian Berrie, and co-producers Danny McGrath and Brian Coffey.

Annandale’s distillery reopened in 2014, following an extensive restoration project. Paula Ward, regional leadership director of Visit Scotland, said the collaboration unites “two of Scotland’s biggest industries. “Film tourism is booming in Scotland, with Netflix’s Outlaw King one of the most recent films to feature the country on screen.” Outlaw King Blended Scotch is available at Annandale Distillery’s website and onsite shop.

Californian winery launches smart wine bottles

Californian wine label Böen has started applying closures to its wine bottles that use Near Field Communication technology to protect against counterfeiting and enable consumers to learn more about the brand. The caps, which are created by Italian packaging giant Guala Closures in a partnership with London-based tech company Sharpend, use Near Field Communication.

It allows wine drinkers to scan bottles with their smartphones to check their authenticity. The technology shows whether the bottle has been opened, to detect any possible product tampering, and also allows consumers to get to know the wine brand better. Drinkers will have “instant access to unparalleled information about the wine they are purchasing simply by tapping the bottle’s cap with their smartphone and taking them to the vineyards where the wines are made,” according to the wine brand.

And Joseph Wagner, winemaker and the founder of California’s Copper Cane, said his brand is “innovating with how we grow grapes and how we connect with our consumers.” Cameron Worth, CEO and founder of Sharpend, said there is a rising demand for connected packaging, as it helps brands to learn more about their consumers and emerging trends. Worth said a rollout of this scale “has been a long time coming”.

Hendrick’s Gin cleans up with laundrettes and ATMs for drinkers

(Photo: Jonathan Hordle/PA Wire)

Hendrick’s Gin has upped its own experimental marketing stakes with two pop-up gin experienced in London; one in a Shoreditch laundrette, and the other in a cash machine in London Bridge.

The brand, known for its Victorian-themed branding, held a pop-up called Lesley’s Laundrette in collaboration with design agency Space in August, as part of its ‘portals to the peculiar’ project. Hendrick’s describes the concept as an immersive experience designed to break-up the “drab daily grind”.

In a nod to its master distiller Lesley Gracie, the experience will take attendees to a “spectacular moment of whimsical oddity infused with rose and cucumber”. James Taylor, senior brand manager at Hendrick’s Gin, said: “This immersive experience allows us to bring the unusual Hendrick’s world to life and show how the brand and product really is different from its competition.

(Photo: Jonathan Hordle/PA Wire)

The brand also launched another pop-up hidden behind am ATM in London Bridge, while another is slated to open in Edinburgh this month.

It follows on from Hendrick’s multi-sensory ad campaign on the London Underground, using cucumber-and-rose-scented posters and the “UK’s longest floor wrap”. The initiative is part of a larger campaign, organised by Vizeum and Posterscope, which will run in seven UK cities.

Aldi launches first spirits festival bank holiday offer

UK retailer Aldi held its first spirit festival ahead of the August bank holiday weekend, which will see the release of a Tequila and mezcal for the first time as well as a candy and marshmallow flavoured ‘Unicorn’ gin.

The discounter, said Mexican spirits were getting more popular with customers, citing IWSR 2019 data that showed Tequila to be the second-fastest growth category after gin, rising at a rate of 9% year-on-year, behind gin at 12%.The two Mexican spirits comprise a ‘sweet, spicy and fruity’ craft Tequila Villa Lobos 100% Agave Reposado from Los Altos, (RRP: £29.99) , and a “smoky and aromatic” Mezcal Eterno Joven (RRP: £34.99).

Purity Brewing replaces Greene King AS Aston Villa Ale

Aston Villa FC have signed Purity Brewing as the Premier League club’s official ale supplier.

Purity Brewing’s beers will now be available at Villa Park as part of a three-year deal with the club, replacing those supplied by previous ale supplier, Greene King. Purity will have its own stand in the stadium serving up its range of ales. The club has also commissioned a new pale ale for the next season, to be served exclusively at Villa Park.

CEO and co-founder Paul Halsey, himself a Villa fan, said the partnership, “reflects our belief in a more discerning beer-drinking public”. A spokesperson told db that Purity approached Aston Villa for a potential listing this year when its deal with UK brewer Greene King was due to expire.

Heineken is Aston Villa’s official beer and cider sponsor, but a spokesperson for Purity told db the partnership has “no relationship whatsoever” to Heineken’s own deal. Nicola Ibbetson, Aston Villa’s chief commercial officer, said the deal will help the club to “forge deeper connections with businesses and communities close to the football club.”

A rising number of football clubs are starting to sell more local beer brands at their stadiums. Arsenal partnered with AB InBev-owned London brewer Camden Town in July, while Norfolk’s Woodforde’s Brewery also secured a long term sponsorship with Norwich City last year.

IWA gets tough on ‘misleadling’ Irish whiskey labels

The IWA has filed a number of complaints with the food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), over what it has called “misleading labelling and marketing” on Irish whiskey products, adding that it could threaten the category’s reputation overseas.

“There is no place in our industry for misleading labelling and marketing, particularly where it refers to a non-existent distillery,” a statement from the IWA said.

Earlier this year, the IWA and FSAI produced a new set of guidelines for Irish whiskey labelling and marketing. The regulations state that distilleries involved in the production of Irish whiskey must be verified by Revenue.

The IWA, which represents 40 companies in Ireland, confirmed it had submitted a complaint against St Patrick’s Distillery in County Cork.

St Patrick’s Distillery buys in new-make whiskey – the colourless liquid that is taken from the spirit still after distillation – before maturing the spirit for three years in oak casks in a bonded warehouse, a spokesperson for the producer told db.

They told the drinks business the company has “always been honest” about its production process.

“We hold an international trademark for St Patrick’s distillery and when we sell the whiskey we do so under our legal corporate trademark,” they said.

M&S changes name of ‘Pornstar Martini’ RTD over ‘sexual’ implications

Marks & Spencer has been told to change the name of its canned Porn Star Martini after a complaint to trade group The Portman group said that, if allowed to continue, it would “open the floodgates” to other suggestive cocktails.

The complaint by a member of the public was upheld in a ruling by the Portman Group in July. It stated that M&S’s Porn Star Martini in a can “contravenes the Portman Code” in that it breached section 3.2d in which an alcoholic product “suggests any association with sexual activity or sexual success”.

Read more here.

Freixenet makes first TV appearance sponsoring Don’t Tell The Bride

Sparkling wine brand Freixenet has made its TV advertising debut in the UK by sponsoring the new series of Channel 4’s Don’t Tell The Bride.

The fizz producer, which launched a Prosecco label in May 2017 to cash in on UK drinkers’ love of Italian sparkling wine, has invested £400,000 in a tie-in with the reality TV show on E4, which will run for 10 weeks from 1 September.

Freixenet’s core sparkling range will be shown through individual indents, including Cordon Negro Cava, Prosecco and Italian Sparkling Rosé. The idents will feature the voice of TV and radio presenter Zoe Hardman, and falling confetti to reflect the wedding theme of the show.

WSET attempts to break a Guinness World Record in wine

(Photo: WSET)

The Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) is calling on people in the UK wine industry to break a Guinness World Record for the largest ever sommelierie lesson.

A mass sommeliere class is planned for 9 September at London’s Kia Oval, hosted by TV personality and BBC 2’s Saturday Kitchen regular Olly Smith, alongside sommelier Virgilio Gennaro.

The duo will guide attendees through a wine pairing masterclass, featuring four wines matched with complementary foods, while giving an insight into the art of pairing.

The current record for a sommelierie lesson stands at 271 people.

The event kicks off a week-long campaign that not only celebrates the Trust’s 50th anniversary, but aims to engage the growing population of wine consumers across the world, to encourage them to learn more about wine. The world record attempt is just one of hundreds of stunts WSET is hosting this year to mark its half century.

More than 450 events will take place worldwide between 9-15 September, with a global network of brand ambassadors supporting the week including: Olly Smith in the UK; Terry Xu in China; and Alyssa Vitrano (of wine blog Grapefriend), Kelly Mitchell (The Wine Siren) and Chelsie Petras (Chel Loves Wine) in the US.

Tickets to the Guinness World Record event cost £20 and are available through Eventbrite.

(Photo: IStock)

Meanwhile, WSET has also revealed that 30% of people think terroir is a genre of French horror film, while a fifth believe Sauternes is a continental beach resort.

Based a survey of 1,500 British adults, it found that 30% believed terroir to be a genre of French horror film, while 28% thought it was a breed of dog. 34% correctly identified that it referred to the ground and area in which grape vines are planted.

Other wine terms that proved challenging included corked’, with 37% of those surveyed thinking it means that broken pieces of cork were in the bottle. 7% believed it meant someone that had over-indulged and had consumed one glass too many, rather than a wine that smells of musty cardboard.

Read more here.

Ferrari celebrates five years at the Emmys

Ferrari at the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards Governors Ball at the Los Angeles Convention Center in 2017. (Photo by John Salangsang/Invision for the Television Academy/AP Images)

Ferrari Trento is returning to the Emmy Awards for the fifth year running as its official fizz, where it will be on pour at the Governors Ball. The 71st Emmy Awards, which recognise excellence in the television industry, are due to take place on 22 September at the Microsoft theatre in Los Angeles, California.

The bottle-fermented fizz will be on pour at the after-party celebration, known as the Governors Ball, will be served to guests as they enter, while a glittering tower of large format bottles will also be on show at the event. Among the expressions due to be served are the classic Ferrari Brut as well as Ferrari Rosé and Ferrari Perlé, which spends an extended time ageing on its lees for added complexity.

Guests will also be able to experience the fizz pre-show, as the brand reprises its appearance in the pre-Emmy’s event of 2018 with a dedicated ‘Ferrari Trento Villa’. Matteo Lunelli, president of Ferrari Trento, said: “We are genuinely proud that for the fifth consecutive year, the Television Academy has selected Ferrari Trento as the official sparkling wine of the Emmy Awards Season.

“Once again we will bring a touch of Italian style to one of the most glamorous events in the city of Los Angeles, celebrating the creativity and dynamism in the television industry with our Trentodoc sparkling wines.”

Waitrose expands its at-home spirits tasting offer

UK retailer Waitrose has expanded its home-tasting experience following the success of ‘Gin O’Clock’, with the roll out of a new two-hour whisky tasting.

The new guided whisky masterclass – which will set you back £400 for a party of 6-10 people – was “a far cry from the dated whisky and chaser’, with “guests” shown how to make simple cocktails, and enjoy food pairings, such as dark salted caramel chocolate and cheese, along with a talk-through of whisky’s history and tips on how to prepare it.

The five whiskies, which will be delivered to the customers’ home by a Waitrose whisky specialist, comprises Makers Mark, The Chita, Highland Park 12, Jim Beam Double Oak and Laphroaig, along with a complimentary highball glass and a rock glass.

It has been added to the standalone Waitrose Wine Tasting at Home website,where customers can book a tasting at a cost of around £40 per person, based on a party of ten.

UK government to plug English fizz, Welsh whisky and Johnnie Walker in Japan

The UK government will try to raise the demand for English sparkling wine and gin overseas during the Rugby World Cup in Japan this month.

The British Embassy, British Consulate-General and the British Council in Japan are launching a major, year-long campaign next month to promote collaboration between UK and Japanese businesses as Brexit looms.

The campaign, called UK in JAPAN 2019-20 was first announced when Prime Minister Abe visited the UK in January this year, and has been organised in the hopes it can “strengthen the bilateral relationship” between the two countries further and “deepen our partnership as forward-looking global leaders.”

As part of the initiative, UK produce will be showcased at a “Food is GREAT Gallery” at three Rugby World Cup host cities for Home Nation’s games, “giving Japanese consumers a taste of Britain,” according to a statement.

A DEFRA spokesperson told the drinks business that a number of UK businesses are partnering with the government on the promotion, from English wineries to drinks giant Diageo.

Estates taking part in the campaign include Portsmouth’s Hambledon Vineyard, Gusbourne Estate in Ashford, Kent, and Sussex-based Ridgeview Estate.

When it comes to spirits,  Bruichladdich Distillery in Islay, Scotland, will supply both whisky and its Botanist Gin, while Surrey-based winery Albury Estate will also supply its own gin label, Silent Pool.

Other spirits producers taking part include Cotswolds Distillery, Penderyn Distillery and Aber Falls in Wales, and Diageo, which will supply its blended whisky label, Johnnie Walker.