Half of Popular Hard Seltzer Brands Could Disappear from Grocery, C-Storesin Utah

Posted on February 8, 2022 by Joel Whitaker

Some of the most popular brands will be available in grocery and convenience stores and half will be available only in liquor stores.

A flavor that meets Utah’s glycol-based flavoring standards will stay in grocery stores, while those that use an ethyl alcohol flavoring will be in a Department of Alcohol Beverage Control store.

It’s all part of the 223-page omnibus liquor bill being negotiated in Salt Lake City.  The measure also rebrands the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services and is expected to enable people to order online and pickup from a state store.

Posted in Alcohol Policy, Legislation | Tagged | Comments Off on Half of Popular Hard Seltzer Brands Could Disappear from Grocery, C-Storesin Utah

Remy Cointreau to Launch Major Ad Push for The Botanist During Super Bowl

Posted on February 8, 2022 by Joel Whitaker

The ad will appear on all social media platforms.  “This first large-scale campaign is a major milestone in the growth of The Botanist,” Remy’s gin brand, “and aligns perfectly with our strategic plan,” says Eric Vallat, CEO.  The amount of spending behind the campaign wasn’t disclosed, although Vallat says Remy Cointreau “will mobilize all necessary resources” to make The Botanist “an undisputed leader in high-end gin by significantly increasing our marketing and advertising spending to boost the brand’s visibility and desirability.”

“Characterized by strong ties to its terroir, The Botanist is perfectly positioned to take advantage of the rapid advance of the gin category in the U.S. and new consumption trends like mixology and premiumization,” he explained.

Posted in Advertising | Tagged , | Comments Off on Remy Cointreau to Launch Major Ad Push for The Botanist During Super Bowl

Miller 64 Does Math: Is 80 Smaller than 64?

Posted on February 8, 2022 by Joel Whitaker

Miller64 is taking aim at 80-calorie Bud Light NEXT with a clever commercial.  A recent survey found 7% of Americans thought 80 was a smaller number than 64, so Miller64 enlisted Ken Ono, a world-renowned mathematician and current Thomas Jefferson Professor of Mathematics at the University of Virginia, to explain in a new commercial that 64 is a smaller number.

Bud Light NEXT doesn’t claim to have the fewest calories and specifically denies it’s made for people who are dieting.  Its marketing pitch is that it has zero carbs.  Miller64 has 64 calories and two carbs.  Miller64 has cleverly set up a strawman.  None the less it’s an enjoyable commercial.

Ono currently serves as the section chair for mathematics at the American Association for the Advancement of Science and is an expert in number theory. He’s published over 200 research articles and was awarded a Presidential Early Career Award for Science and Engineering by a former president, among many other awards. Despite these accolades, Ken Ono still had questions about why 7% of Americans think 80 is smaller than 64.

When asked to solve this particular equation, Ken Ono stated, “I’ve seen a lot of complicated mathematical equations in my career, and worked to solve some of the most complex integer partitions and modular forms, but what I can’t understand is why anyone would think 80 is smaller than 64? I can confirm, 64 is most certainly smaller than 80.”

Posted in Advertising | Tagged , | Comments Off on Miller 64 Does Math: Is 80 Smaller than 64?

Captain Morgan Highlights NFL Fan of the Year Nominees in Spot

Posted on February 8, 2022 by Joel Whitaker

Captain Morgan is highlighting multiple nominees for the NFL Fan of the Year contest with a documentary-style series titled “We Bring On the Spice.” The six-part series, all episodes of which are hosted on SB Nation, features some of the league’s most passionate and dedicated fans whose love for their teams is unrivaled.

NFL legend and Super Bowl champion Victor Cruz hosts the inaugural series. Cruz, a 2021 NFL Fan of the Year panelist, traveled to the hometowns of several nominees age 21+ to get a firsthand look at how each one brings a unique approach to fandom and leverages their passion to positively impact their respective communities. From a fan who travels 3,000 miles to attend games to another who created a supporters’ group that now stands 10,000+ strong, each of the nominees highlighted in the series has demonstrated an unwavering dedication to their beloved teams.

Captain Morgan is the official spice rum sponsor of the National Football League.

Posted in Advertising | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Captain Morgan Highlights NFL Fan of the Year Nominees in Spot

Bud Light NEXT Hits Shelves, Releases Super Bowl Spot

Posted on February 8, 2022 by Joel Whitaker

Bud Light NEXT began appearing on store shelves yesterday (2/7).  As part of the launch, the zero-carb beer released its new Super Bowl commercial, which pays tribute to those consumers 21+ who, like Bud Light, are breaking barriers and refusing to be boxed in.

“This Super Bowl, we celebrate a historic moment in Bud Light and Anheuser-Busch’s history: the introduction of Bud Light NEXT, our first-ever zero carb beer,” said Andy Goeler, VP-Marketing, Bud Light, at Anheuser-Busch. “Ten years in the making, Bud Light NEXT is a symbol of our continued commitment to innovation. Now, on advertising’s biggest stage, we’ll pay tribute to those who are pushing boundaries and redefining the world around us every day.”

Featuring four vignettes synced to the tune of Barbra Streisand’s hit song Gotta Move, the new commercial titled, “Zero in the Way of Possibility” demonstrates what’s possible when you choose to break traditional conventions and challenges fans to re-think the status quo.

Also, as part of the launch, fans can enter the “Spot a Zero, Add a Zero*” sweepstakes by posting photos on social of all the zeros in front of them – zeros in the Bud Light NEXT spot, zeros on NEXT cans, zeros in other ads, zeros on street signs, and zeros anywhere in between – using #SpotAZero and #Sweepstakes for a chance to be one of seven lucky people to win $10,000.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Bud Light NEXT Hits Shelves, Releases Super Bowl Spot

Dick Leinenkugel to Retire, Nephew to Take Over

Posted on February 8, 2022 by Joel Whitaker

Dick Leinenkugel, who led his family-founded Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co. to an audience of drinkers across the country via the massive hit Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy, will retire at the end of 2022 after serving eight years as president of the brewery.

Leinenkugel, 64, will pass the baton to his nephew and sixth-generation Leinenkugel, Tony Bugher, who will be charged with steering the 155-year-old Chippewa Falls, Wis., brewery into its next chapter.

Bugher, 45, joined Molson Coors at his uncle’s urging in 2014 and has progressed through several roles in the company, including craft and import manager, field marketing manager and senior distributor sales executive. He recently took over as associate marketing manager for Leinenkugel’s, where he works on sales and distributor engagement and branded partnerships and is overseeing the installation of a new pilot brewery in Chippewa Falls that’s slated to come online this spring.

Posted in Who and What | Tagged | Comments Off on Dick Leinenkugel to Retire, Nephew to Take Over