12 Spring and Summer Beverage Promotions
By Steve Holtz on Apr. 26, 2018CHICAGO -- With spring in full bloom, beverage promotional campaigns are blossoming across the category. Here are a dozen new promotions and sponsorships from beer, cider, tea, water and other segments of the cold vault …
1. Dos Equis and Tecate
Combining two powerhouse Mexican import brands in one timely promotion, Heineken USA’s Dos Equis and Tecate beers are supporting the idea that Cinco de Mayo is more than just one day on the calendar; it’s a mindset for having fun and celebrating. Cinco de Mayo is a top five dollar-volume holiday, according to Nielsen, and the beer importer wants to provide "the perfect opportunity for retailers to ... ‘Grab Cinco by the Cervezas.' "
“We know that consumers are enjoying Mexican imports at home or with friends, within the week before and the week of Cinco de Mayo,” said David Smith, Dos Equis brand manager. “We want beer drinkers to have everything they need to make this their best Cinco yet. Draught features on-premise and displays off-premise will help retailers sell beer and give consumers a compelling reason to celebrate.”
To drive awareness, social-media templates will advertise Cinco de Mayo features, specials and holiday events, while thematic, channel-specific point-of-sale will bring the promotion to life.
2. Corona
Constellation Brands' Corona Extra is the "official import beer" of the 144th Kentucky Derby, which happens to fall on Cinco de Mayo this year. As such, Corona has partnered with vineyard vines—the "official style" of the derby—to offer a collection of clothing accessories.
The limited-edition collection includes Corona-inspired bow ties, belts, scarfs and totes ranging from $44-$99.95, the company said. These items are available now for purchase on CoronaUSAstore.com.
3. Angry Orchard
Boston Beer Co.'s Angry Orchard Cider is a sponsor of the Kentucky Derby. At the Derby, Angry Orchard will feature its newest hard cider innovation Angry Orchard Rose as the Derby’s official hard cider.
4. Snapple
Snapple is now the official tea and juice drink of Major League Baseball (MLB), beginning with this 2018 season. The two-year partnership supplies Snapple with marketing and activation rights across MLB special events, including All-Star Week, the postseason and World Series, as well as other key moments during the season.
As part of the sponsorship, Snapple and MLB will be releasing a new, baseball themed product that will be offered for a limited time.
5. Dos Equis
Heineken USA has signed a marketing alliance with Live Nation giving the beer importer's key Mexican import Dos Equis exclusive naming rights to the Starplex Pavilion, a 20,000-seat venue in historic Fair Park in Dallas. The largest amphitheater in the Dallas-Fort Worth area will be renamed Dos Equis Pavilion in this multiyear agreement.
Under the terms of the deal, Dos Equis will be the exclusive naming rights partner of the facility and be integrated into the official logo of the Pavilion. Prominent signage throughout the venue, including facade, box-office and LED displays will drive brand awareness among the hundreds of thousands of legal drinking-age concertgoers and enhance the music experience, the company said.
“We are honored to be aligning with such a respected partner as Live Nation. And the fact that the newly named Dos Equis Pavilion is located in the heart of a key Dos Equis market makes this partnership uniquely relevant to our core consumers,” said Elizabeth Cannon, regional marketing manager for Heineken USA.
Interesante
Meanwhile, in an evolution of its “Most Interesting Man” campaign, Dos Equis is out to prove that “interesting” is not limited to just one man; everyone can be interesante. The “Keep it Interesante campaign” aims to drive home the creative edge the brand is known for, while helping fans bring their irreverent stories to life in a way that makes their stories even more entertaining.
The campaign kicked off in March with TV commercials and will extend across social media, digital activations, retail and at events across the country this summer.
Fully integrated on- and off-premise activation engages shoppers with occasion-based point-of-sale materials, a custom augmented reality experience, retail theater, sampling events, channel partnerships and rebate offers (where legal).
6. Kickstart
Kevin Hart is the new face of Mtn Dew Kickstart. In this role, Hart, an NBA fan, will bring one lucky Dew fan and a friend "Closer Than Courtside" at the NBA Playoffs. This is the first activation of a yearlong partnership between Hart and Kickstart that includes a 360-degree marketing campaign (TV, digital, social and experiential) and integration with Hart's latest comedy tour.
7. Birra Moretti
Five Points Trading Co.'s Birra Moretti is once again teaming up with bocce, Italy’s beloved pastime, to encourage legal-aged consumers to enjoy these two "great Italian classics" with friends, family and others this summer.
“We are building on the successful launch of our 2017 Bocce program in a big way,” said Amberly Hilinski, senior brand manager for Birra Moretti, Five Points Trading Co., a Heineken USA company. “Through increased event and Bocce league sponsorships, consumer sampling and enhanced retail and on-premise support (where legal), our 2018 activation will amplify excitement and participation at Bocce tournaments and special events, as well as at participating retail and on-premise accounts throughout the country.”
To activate the "Veni, Vidi, Bocce" promotion, Birra Moretti is sponsoring an expanded list of events and local tournaments in 2018, including Chicago Gourmet, Taste of Italy L.A. and Tampa, Fla.’s Festa Italiana.
At retail, point-of-sale materials, along with bocce kit display enhancers, will invite consumers to choose Moretti and bocce to enhance their social gatherings whether at home or other outdoor locations.
8. Sparkling Ice
Sparkling Ice, part of the Talking Rain Beverage Co. portfolio, will be the official sponsor of the High School Nation (HAN) Tour for a third year.
Demonstrating the initiative to introduce students to opportunities in the arts, the High School Nation Tour is a music and arts festival that travels to high school campuses across the country. It is aimed to provide students with an engaging event with live music and interactive presentations that educate teens about careers in the arts. In its seventh year, the spring and fall tours will span across 50 high schools, engaging about 150,000 high school students.
This year, Sparkling Ice will bring back its “Spin Art Stations,” where participants will have the opportunity to create bold spin art on LP records. As a new element to the tour, students will also be invited to the Sparkling Ice Mix Station, where they can create a custom recording using DJ mixing boards by Pioneer. In addition to the creative components, students can sample various flavors of Sparkling Ice, including a new flavor to debut this spring.
NHRA Sponsorship
Sparkling Ice also announced a sponsorship of the NHRA Top Fuel Dragster driven by Leah Pritchett. The yearlong agreement between Sparkling Ice and Don Schumacher Racing driver Pritchett will continue throughout the remainder of 2018 with Sparkling Ice as the exclusive sponsor in the sparkling-water category.
9. Tecate
Beginning in mid-May and continuing throughout the summer, Heineken USA import Tecate is inviting beer drinkers to “Bring Your Pride to the Grill” in a retail program that puts the "carne asada occasion" (grilling) front and center with Tecate and Tecate Light.
The integrated marketing program incorporates bilingual point-of-sale signage, display enhancements, digital and social media, TV advertising that supports the grilling occasion, a Tecate Grill Truck activation plan in select markets, a partnership with Kingsford charcoal to drive cross-merchandising, coupons and rebates (where legal), and a sweepstakes for a chance for two winners and three friends each to attend the Weber Grill Academy in Monterrey, Mexico.
The multichannel promotion is tailored to grocery, convenience and liquor stores, the company said. It is designed to drive sales through trial, maximize brand awareness, recruit new consumers and generate shopper engagement.
Claim Your Corner
Tecate also brought back its popular boxing promotion, inviting fans to gather for every fight with a Tecate beer in hand.
The “Claim Your Corner” retail promotion will lead up to the potential championship boxing rematch between the No. 1 fighter in the world, Canelo “Golden Boy” Alvarez, and his opponent, the quickly rising Gennady “GGG” Golovkin. The on- and off-premise promotion includes in-store displays and a text-to-win sweepstakes offering consumers a chance to win one of 5,000 pay-per-view codes and a trip to see the May 5 bout live.
10. Canada Dry
Dr Pepper Snapple Group's Canada Dry is celebrating the launch of its new flavor combination—Ginger Ale and Lemonade—with an all-new digital and television campaign.
The new campaign features the new character, Ginger Man, played by Cullen Moss. In the ads, he gives consumers guidance on how to taste nirvana and embrace relaxation, furthering the brand’s ongoing commitment to helping fans reach peak relaxation. The Ginger Man character will accompany the integrated campaign consisting of national TV commercials, audio-streaming program advertisements, and an extension across social, digital and media channels.
11. Tiger Beer
Five Points Trading Co.'s Tiger Beer has partnered with an "eclectic group of 'Uncaged Heroes' from fields as diverse as technology, dance, fashion, music, art and food," for a promotion that aims to "inspire people to look beyond familiar faces and discover those who are truly shaping the future."
Tiger Beer is sharing the "heroes" work on social media through a launch film. Tiger will build this "uncaged" community, discovering exciting up-and-comers across the world, with local activations in 13 markets, including the United States and 12 other countries.
Through the U.S. program, Tiger Beer will partner with Hypebeast, an authority on culture, in a search to discover creatives taking the music industry to the next level. Hypebeast will host contestant submissions, directing chosen finalists to perform on stage in one of three Uncaged Nights events in June 2018. Finalists chosen from each of those three performances will then face off in July 2018 for a chance to be featured at Uncaged Live, an event bringing together and showcasing a clash of creative talent from all corners of the world on Sept. 20, 2018.
12. a2 Milk
The a2 Milk Co. has launched a national advertising campaign, capitalizing on momentum from the company's major northeast expansion.
A2 Milk ads are airing on ABC, NBC, Bravo, Food Network and HGTV networks during major shows, such as "The Today Show," "Top Chef," "The Walking Dead" and "This Is Us."
In January, the a2 Milk Co. announced a major expansion in the U.S. market into the northeast, making products available in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine. This is in addition to distribution in the Southeast and California.
The majority of cows’ milk consumed in America contains two main types of beta-casein proteins: A1 and A2 protein. Published research suggests that the A1 protein in ordinary cows’ milk is often associated with discomfort and digestive issues. The a2 Milk Co. works with local dairy farmers to identify cows that only produce the A2 protein type and process their milk separately.