News Briefs for April 14, 2015
April 14, 2015•Diageo and Sean “Diddy” Combs are backing their luxury DeLeón Tequila brand with a new millennial-targeted campaign. Produced under the creative direction of Combs, DeLeón’s “The Next Level” campaign includes a series of six 15-second videos, each focusing on the brand’s bottle and featuring music by Muddy Waters or Naomi Scott. The shorts, which are designed to be sharable and appeal to “media-savvy, fast-paced” millennials, will run across digital, social and broadcast platforms, with television spots set to air on the AMC, Discovery, History Channel and Esquire networks. Jointly acquired by Diageo and Combs in early 2014, DeLeón’s core range features five variants priced between $150 to $850. Late last year, the brand announced plans to broaden its appeal with the launch of new Platinum, Reposado and Anejo offerings priced at roughly $60-$75 a 750-ml.
•Florida-based importer and marketer Imperial Brands has added four new wine and spirits brands—including Tromba Tequila, Cedar Ridge Whiskey, MonCigale Rosé and Fruits and Wine—to its stable. Founded by former Don Julio master distiller Marco Cedano, the Tromba Tequila range features Silver, Reposado and Añejo entries ($39-$47 a 750-ml.) and is currently available in New York and Illinois. Also joining the portfolio is Cedar Ridge Winery & Distillery’s handcrafted whiskey collection, which will be distributed in New York and New Jersey and includes the brand’s Iowa Bourbon, Malted Rye, Wheat and Single Malt expressions ($36-$48). Priced at $15, MonCigale Rosé is led by its AOC Coteaux d’Aix en Provence 2014, while France’s Fruits and Wine is billed as an aromatized wine-based drink range, offering low-alcohol Grapefruit Rosé, Strawberry Rosé and Cherry Rosé ($11) expressions. The U.S. subsidiary of Belvedere SA, Imperial Brands also markets the Sobieski vodka and Kerrygold Irish Cream liqueur brands, among others.
•As part of Blue Moon Brewing Company’s 20th anniversary celebrations this year, MillerCoors is building another brewing facility to be located in Denver’s RiNo Art District. The pilot brewery, which is slated to open in 2016, will include a tasting room, tours and indoor and outdoor spaces for events. Blue Moon at the SandLot, a small brewery inside Coors Field where the brand launched in 1995, will continue to operate and support the new facility in creating and testing new Blue Moon beers. Blue Moon Brewing Company is part of MillerCoors’ Tenth and Blake craft and import unit along with brands such as Crispin Cider Company, Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co., 10th Street Brewer and Pilsner Urquell, among others.
•BevMo has appointed marketing veteran Michelle Farabaugh as chief marketing officer, tasked with overseeing all marketing, promotions, advertising and public relations for the California-based beverage retailer. In her 20 years of marketing experience, Farabaugh has served in executive roles at West Marine and Smith & Hawken, as well as working at companies such as Galls, PETsMART Direct and direct marketing firm Lenser/Merkel. BevMo operates 157 stores across California, Arizona and Washington.
•Phillips Distilling’s UV vodka brand is extending its flavor lineup with the launch of UV Sangria. Rolling out next month, the red sangria-flavored expression is targeted toward the cocktail occasion and priced at around $11.99 a 750-ml. UV Sangria joins the brand’s existing range of more than 20 flavored vodkas, including UV’s recently-added Ruby Red Grapefruit and Sriracha extensions. Last year, UV was down 17% to 1.3 million cases in the U.S., according to Impact Databank.
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Tagged : BevMo, Blue Moon, DeLeón, Diageo, Imperial Brands, MillerCoors, Phillips Distilling, Phillips Distilling Company, UV
