WKD is bringing the humble Christmas bauble from tree-tops to bar-tops in the form of seasonally shaped cocktail pitchers.  Thousands of eye-catching WKD Cocktail Baubles are being distributed across the on-trade for licensees to serve special sharing cocktails from.

Shaped in the style of classic Christmas tree decorations, the multi-serve cocktail pitchers will brin a humorous festive twist to proceedings. With four delicious seasonal recipes (Berry Christmas, Halo Cheeky, Mango Ho Ho and WKD Frostbite), WKD sharing cocktails are a great way for groups of friends to enjoy WKD with complementing spirits, liqueurs and soft drink mixers.

The festive cocktail recipes are quick and easy for staff to mix, and the multi-serve format will not only create a visual impact but also ease pressure at the bar during key trading periods. With themed posters, table-talkers and in-outlet screen media making pub-goers aware of what’s on offer, the WKD Cocktail Baubles will help create a great atmosphere and generate fun nights for friends.

A far-reaching social media campaign will support the in-outlet activity, raising awareness of the special cocktails and encouraging consumers to seek out WKD’s over-sized festive baubles. The digital support will also include opportunities for consumers to win seasonal giveaways, such as WKD bobble-hats and Christmas Bauble pitchers.

“High-energy or celebratory occasions with friends are what RTDs are all about,” explains Amanda Grabham, Head of Brand Marketing – Alcohol at SHS Drinks, owner of WKD.  “Our impactful Christmas pitchers will not only bring festive fun to outlets but will also help licensees maximise seasonal opportunities by encouraging consumers to trade-up to multi-serve cocktails.  The activity will both support WKD stockists and engage WKD consumers.

“The best way to build festive sales is to ensure that customers have a great time.  People want to have fun at Christmas, so outlets need to gear-up to deliver memorable nights out; with our Cocktail Baubles, seasonal POS and a huge awareness-raising social media campaign, WKD has things all wrapped up,” Grabham concludes.

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Accolade Wines, the UK’s leading wine company, has announced a £1m investment in a new campaign for Hardys, its No 1 wine brand and the official wine of England Cricket. The campaign will include TV sponsorship, a partnership with Sky, print advertising and prize promotions offering the chance to win cricket tickets and cricket merchandise.

The Rules According to Hardys puts the UK’s most trusted wine brand at the heart of family life with a warm and engaging theme about the different rules and quirks around families and the game of cricket.

The Hardys campaign will feature heavily during the cricket season including TV sponsorship of Channel 5 Cricket Highlights, which reaches 10.4m adults, a partnership with SkySports.com and cricket print media advertising. There will be a strong brand presence in England cricket grounds across the UK with perimeter boards, promotional activity and branded bars.

Hardys will be promoted in both the on- and off-trade including gondola ends, summer seasonal aisles and competitions to win cricket tickets and related branded products to drive awareness and purchase at point of purchase.

David White, Marketing Director for Accolade Wines, says: “We have consistently invested in Hardys sponsorship of the England cricket team over the last few years and now established our credentials as a long term supporter of English cricket. We are confident that this new campaign, The Rules According to Hardys, will connect with our consumers by raising a smile at the quirky ways British families interpret the rules and enjoy time together, especially when playing cricket.”

The campaign will extend to Hardys social channels through a partnership with the England and Wales Cricket Board to create a series of posts revealing the quirky personal family rules of those that grew up around the game.

The Hardys brand, with retail sales worth in excess of £275m a year, will also front a search to celebrate the unsung heroes of local grassroots crickets, and will be revealing its support for some unusual cricket traditions during the season.

Accolade Wines, which owns the Hardys brand, is a major global wine business based in Australia. It began as Thomas Hardy and Sons, founded in 1853, and now has operations in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, mainland Europe, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Asia. At the beginning of April 2018, US private equity firm The Carlyle Group bought Accolade for Aus $1bn. The sellers were Australian private equity firm Champ, which owned 80% of the business, and US alcohol group Constellation, which owned the remaining 20%.

Accolade’s Echo Falls brand recently signed up as the drinks partner of what is likely to be the summer’s hottest TV show, Love Island 2018, on ITV2, and will be offering the chance to win tickets to the live Love Island final.

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Independent Scotch whisky distiller Loch Lomond Group has signed a five-year partnership deal with The Open, golf’s original championship, for its Loch Lomond Whiskies brand.

The partnership with tournament organisers The R&A includes support of the Ricoh Women’s British Open and will allow the distiller to showcase globally the full range of Loch Lomond Whiskies. It also means the distiller’s innovative and exciting range of single malts will become “The Spirit of The Open”.

The Open is the most international of the major golf championships with qualifying events across five continents. The Championship is also broadcast to 600 million households in almost 200 countries around the world.

Muriel Raguenaud, Marketing Director for Loch Lomond Group, says: “The partnership will encompass a year round programme of events both in the UK and international markets for whisky and golf fans. Some promotional activity will happen both on- and off-premises. In particular, at The Open itself, there will be a Loch Lomond Whiskies area where spectators will be able to sample our range of single malts and discover their versatility. Loch Lomond Whiskies will be the exclusive whisky poured at The Open and there will be a selection of limited edition products for sale.”

A range of in-outlet activations and Point Of Sale activities are also planned to capitalise on Loch Lomond’s partnership with The Open and the Ricoh Women’s British Open, both in the UK and in international markets. This could see consumers being offered the chance to win tickets to attend this year’s Open at Carnoustie.

Loch Lomond Whiskies will also use the partnership with The Open as a platform to create a variety of limited editions, aimed at both golf fans and whisky aficionados. The first limited editions will be released this summer and will cover a wide price range of whiskies, from tasting packs to rare vintages. There will probably be a limited edition to celebrate each Open championship.

Whisky and golf are recognised as being among Scotland’s most famous products and consumer studies suggest that there is a close affinity between the two industries, with many golf fans also demonstrating a passion for Scotch.

Founded in 1814, Loch Lomond Whiskies can trace its roots back to the Littlemill distillery, which was established in 1772 and which is thought to be one of the oldest in the world. Its current malt and grain distilleries, in Alexandria, Dunbartonshire on the banks of Loch Lomond, were built in the 1960s and are among only a few in the industry to maintain an onsite cooperage. The malt distillery at Alexandria also features a unique combination of traditional swan neck and distinctive straight-necked pot stills, enabling it to produce a diverse range of flavour profiles.

Colin Matthews, CEO of Loch Lomond Group, took ownership of the business with the backing of London based Exponent Private Equity in March 2014. Since then, the group has expanded its product range significantly, made major capital investments in its distilleries, maturation infrastructure and bottling operations and has achieved strong international growth. Its brands are now present in over 125 countries around the world.

Colin Matthews, CEO of Loch Lomond Group, observes: “We are extremely proud to have agreed this prestigious partnership and association with The R&A for The Open and the Ricoh Women’s British Open. There is an incredibly strong alignment between the worlds of whisky and golf, two of Scotland’s most iconic gifts to the world. There is also a great fit between those who follow golf and whisky, with research showing clearly that many golfers across the world enjoy a regular dram.”

Matthews adds: “Our partnership with The R&A is the perfect means for Loch Lomond Whiskies to use the fabulous platforms of both championships to grow further, both in the UK and internationally, and it also demonstrates our strong commitment and ambition to becoming a premium global brand.”

Loch Lomond Whiskies’ partnership with The Open is effective immediately and runs until 2022. The five-year period includes the playing of the landmark 150th Open in 2021 at St Andrews, the home of golf. The 147th Open takes place at Carnoustie from 15-22 July 2018.

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Frontier, the new craft lager from brewer Fuller’s, has teamed up with gourmet popcorn brand Joe & Seph’s for an in-pub food pairing campaign encouraging trial of Frontier through the offering of a free packet of Joe & Seph’s popcorn.

The ‘Find Flavour Sessions’, created by marketing agency ignis ltd, see a programme of in-pub events that demonstrate how the unorthodox flavours of Joe & Seph’s popcorn, such as Madras Curry, are perfectly balanced by Frontier’s fruity but refreshing notes. An on-pack mechanic invites consumers to take to social media and voice their opinion on which flavour best pairs with the craft lager.

Jane Jones, Marketing Director for Fuller’s, says: “Collaborating with an exceptional, independent company such as Joe & Seph’s is a fantastic step for Fuller’s, and allows us to showcase Frontier’s food-pairing potential in an extremely innovative way.”

As well as consumer engagement, the campaign also looks to re-connect with the trade. With bar staff identified as the key route to consumers, ignis has developed a 360° brand film to educate staff on the brewing process of Frontier and why the craft beer is so well suited to food pairing.

Nick Peters, Executive Creative Director of ignis, says: “With this campaign we really focussed on what makes the trade tick. We believe the possibility of 360° and VR goes beyond consumer engagement, and can be perfectly applied to training and development within an organisation. We felt 360° was the ideal medium in which to tell the Frontier brand story in an immersive way.”

Frontier Find Flavour Sessions will be launching in selected licensed venues in the coming months. Follow @FrontierLager for more information.

Fuller, Smith and Turner P.L.C. is an independent traditional family brewer founded in 1845 and is based at the historic Griffin Brewery in Chiswick, London, where brewing has taken place continuously since 1654. The Fuller’s Beer Company brews a portfolio of premium beers including London Pride, Oliver’s Island, ESB, Organic Honey Dew and Frontier Craft Lager. In June 2013, the Company acquired Cornish Orchards, a craft cider maker producing a range of award-winning ciders and premium soft drinks. Fuller’s is also the UK distributor for Sierra Nevada, the premier US craft beer.

ignis is a multi-award winning independent brand experience agency based in Fulham. Over a 29-year history, it has worked with a wide range of clients including Jameson Whiskey, Sheraton Hotels Fuller’s, Betfair and Cuticura.

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Premium Spanish lager San Miguel has launched two new promotions, one targeting the on-trade and the other consumers under the ‘San Miguel La Experienca’ campaign banner.

The activity has been developed to celebrate consumers embracing experiences in the on-trade and to recognise the venues that deliver on this.

The brand will initially try to identify venues that offer great food and also venues with the best outdoor spaces, amongst other factors. Successful venues will be supported with local press advertising and social media encouraging consumers to visit these venues.

In addition, a select number will be given the ‘San Miguel La Experiencia’ treatment, which will include a bespoke San Miguel branded event and widespread local publicity to drive footfall to the venues.

In the off-trade, San Miguel will also release 200,000 special edition Explorers chalice glasses across selected grocery and independent off-trade outlets this month.

Alongside the special edition chalice glass, packaging will offer shoppers the chance to win their own bespoke experience. San Miguel says that in recognition of the fact that today’s consumers want choice, the winner will work with an events company to create a unique experience that taps into their own interests and aspirations.

The multi-channel campaign launched in April this year with cinema, print and digital support which lasts through to December. There will also be a celebrity endorsement.

Dharmesh Rana, senior brand manager for San Miguel at Carlsberg UK, said: “We’ve evolved the campaign for 2017, so that it supports on-trade operators who focus on creating fantastic experiences for their guests and shoppers. It’s inspired by San Miguel’s founding family who were explorers and adventurers, and we want to reward and celebrate those pubs and bars up and down the UK which place a higher value on experience above all else.”

Rana added: “Our chalice glass is a real brand strength, reflected by the fact that so many are ‘borrowed’ from pubs up and down the country. This activity gives shoppers the chance to get their hands on a special edition version that tells our story, and creates an opportunity for them to enjoy our great beer at home in a perfect serve, ensuring drinkers have a great San Miguel experience.”

The on- and off-trade activity will run in conjunction with a nine-month consumer campaign which seeks to find 20 ‘life-rich’ individuals and collectives from across the globe to appear in the San Miguel Rich list 2017, published in the national media in the autumn this year.

‘The San Miguel Rich List’ first appeared in 2016. Consumers are invited to nominate people (either individuals or collectives) who they believe are explorers or trailblazers in some way and who have rejected the pursuit of wealth and status in a search for other kinds of value: people, in other words, who are rich in experience.

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Fuller, Smith & Turner PLC (Fuller’s), the London brewer and premium pub company, has just launched London Pride Unfiltered, which it says is its biggest beer launch in a generation, at the four-day long Craft Beer Rising event in the former Truman Brewery in London’s East End which took place this weekend.

The event started with a trade-only day on February 22^nd,and opened to the public from February 23^rd until February 25^th. Fulham-based agency marketing agency ignis created an activation space to bring the new product and the Fuller’s brand to life for the event.

London Pride Unfiltered is a 4.1% unfiltered variant of one of the UK’s favourite beers and comes in 30 litre kegs, which Fullers says will open the brand up to a new consumer and a new drinking occasion.

ignis Executive Creative Director, Nick Peters, says: “Craft Beer Rising provides a fantastic opportunity to introduce the brand to a new audience, as well as those well versed in London Pride cask. When it came to designing the space, it was important to ensure that it showcased ‘Unfiltered’, not just as a process, but as a unique attitude, rooted in contemporary London.”

The beer is brewed true to London Pride’s original recipe, but is then dry hopped with Target Hops for added character and flavour. With the goal of making the beer as natural as possible, the beer is centrifuged, but not filtered or pasteurised, to retain taste, complexity and Fuller’s character. The result, according to Fuller’s, is a hazy, hoppy, tasty beer in a keg, served at between 4° and 6° degrees, which delivers quality and flavour.

Fullers Beer Company managing director Simon Dodd observes: “The London Pride brand name has heritage and authenticity and we now feel the time has come to leverage these qualities and bring London Pride to a more contemporary environment. Our excellent brewing team has taken the same great recipe and, by dry hopping the beer at the end, created a beer, in keg, that has balance, flavour and is true to the character of any Fullers beer.”

Fuller, Smith and Turner is an independent traditional family brewer founded in 1845 and based at the historic Griffin Brewery in Chiswick, London, where brewing has taken place continuously since 1654. The Fuller’s Beer Company brews a portfolio of premium beers including London Pride, Oliver’s Island, ESB, Organic Honey Dew and Frontier Craft Lager. In June 2013, the Company acquired Cornish Orchards, a craft cider maker producing a range of award-winning ciders and premium soft drinks. Fuller’s is also the UK distributor for premier US craft beer Sierra Nevada.

ignis is a multi-award winning independent brand activation agency based in Fulham. It has worked for clients including Jameson Whiskey, Sheraton Hotels, FST, Betfair and Cuticura.

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Strongbow, the UK’s leading cider brand from Heineken, is giving drinkers a fright with its on-trade consumer activation ‘The Haunted’ this Halloween.

Worth more than £300m in sales in 2015, Halloween is now the second biggest night in the on-trade calendar after New Year’s Eve. In order to help publicans maximise this important occasion and drive growth in sales, 11,000 Strongbow POS kits featuring a guaranteed instant-win consumer competition are being distributed.

Strongbow’s ‘The Haunted’ is running in outlet from now until November 3^rd 2016, giving drinkers the chance to win a range of prizes, including a trip to Prague and haunted hotel breaks, through a peel-and-wet reveal card given with a pint of Strongbow.

New for this year, Strongbow is launching a dedicated consumer microsite for the competition, including a venue finder and code entry mechanism, alongside T&Cs and FAQs. There is also a dedicated trade area where publicans can find additional material to amplify the Halloween occasion, including pumpkin carving templates, pub quiz suggestions, Halloween playlists and digital assets to use on social channels.

As well as the prize cards and merchandise prizes, each POS kit also includes a variety of blood-curdling gadgets that publicans can use to activate the competition and attract people through the door over the Halloween period. Outlets will be able to fully embrace the Halloween spirit by displaying materials such as empty belly posters, a specially designed eye-catching back-bar card holder, and paranormal activity caution tape to add a spooky touch to the venue and immerse consumers in the Halloween atmosphere.

Andy Turner, Category & Trade Marketing Director On-Trade, Heineken, says: “We know how huge an opportunity Halloween is for pubs and bars and it’s definitely a key occasion for publicans to drive extra footfall and sales. It’s all about offering partygoers a fun place to spend their whole evening, and we think Strongbow’s ‘The Haunted’ adds an extra element for the consumer, driving repeat sales for licensees and keeping customers in their outlet for longer.”

In addition to being the UK’s leading cider and beer business, Heineken owns around 1,050 pubs through its Star Pubs & Bars business. Its portfolio of brands includes Foster’s, Heineken, Strongbow, Desperados, Kronenbourg1664, John Smith’s and Bulmers, backed by a full range of niche and speciality brands.

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Bacardi Brown-Forman Brands (BBFB) will be running a series of activities to mark this year’s London Cocktail Week, running from 3rd to 9th October 2016, with immersive experiences and special offers for LCW wristband wearers.

Bacardí rum, Grey Goose vodka and Bombay Sapphire gin are taking centre stage in the London Cocktail Week village where each will partner with a top London bar to bring its spirit to life through immersive and theatrical cocktail experiences.

Bacardí rum is teaming up with Rum Kitchen to bring a taste of Miami to London with tropical cocktails and a beach chic atmosphere. Inspired by the bistros of the continent, Grey Goose vodka and Duck & Waffle will invite vodka lovers and Francophiles to enjoy café culture with extraordinary cocktails. Bombay Sapphire gin and Cahoots will take visitors on a journey to discover the tastes and cultures of the world through their special creations.

Bartenders will have the opportunity to attend daytime inspirational seminars hosted by BBFB Brand Ambassadors Metinee ‘May’ Kongsrivilai (Bacardí), Myles Donneky (Grey Goose) and Renaud de Bosredon (Bombay Sapphire).

To extend the London Cocktail Week experience beyond Spitalfields Market, BBFB will also be offering London Cocktail Week wristband wearers specially-created cocktails made from brands within the portfolio such as Bacardí, Grey Goose, Woodford Reserve, Chambord and Jack Daniel’s. London Cocktail Week wristbands give visitors access to £5 cocktails on the stands, as well as at a series of partner bars such as LCC Bethnal Green, Joyeux Bordel, Sager and Wilde and more. BBFB will also be bringing the party spirit to London Cocktail Week with St Germain, Bombay Sapphire and Bacardí all hosting parties.

Shervene Shahbazkhani, UK Head of Trade Advocacy at Bacardi Brown-Forman Brands, says: “BBFB is at the heart of the UK’s cocktail scene and so we are committed to supporting the bar community during such a key occasion for the trade. London Cocktail Week is the perfect opportunity to shout about what our brands and key partner bars are able to deliver when it comes to keeping the London cocktail scene one of the most exciting in the world. Our aim is to give our brands and partner bars strong visibility, whilst providing cocktail lovers with a truly engaging experience throughout the whole week.”

Bacardi Brown-Forman Brands (BBFB) is a trading name used by Bacardi-Martini Limited, Bacardi’s UK distributor. BBFB supplies a premium portfolio of brands including Bacardí rum, Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Tennessee whiskey, Grey Goose vodka, Bombay Sapphire gin, Woodford Reserve, and Chambord liqueur.

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Dutch-based global brewing giant Heineken is bringing its Heineken Light lower alcohol beer to Europe for the first time, with a launch in Ireland supported by on and off trade sampling and digital couponing.

The Heineken Light campaign in Ireland will also include TV ads, outdoor advertising, digital, social media and PR as well as in-store activity.

Online, Heineken is offering Irish consumers the chance to claim a complimentary pint of the new product by registering with the brand website. They can then earn another free pint by sharing the site address with three friends – if those friends also sign up, then the original consumer gets a coupon for another free pint. Alternatively, consumers can get a digital coupon worth €2 off the purchase off a pack of Heineken Light.

Heineken Light, which has 3% Alcohol By Volume, has been sold in the US for the past 10 years. The Irish launch will be followed by roll-outs in other European countries soon.

For the Irish launch, Heineken is using a campaign created by Irish ad agency Rothco, which is also to develop a global campaign for the product which will run outside the US.

Rothco’s first ads show Heineken Light conducting humourous fictional screen tests to find a new spokesperson. The first ad features a character named Jonny Goode, who starts stripping off in an attempt to win the part. The ad is featured on Heineken Ireland’s YouTube channel.

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Strongbow is launching a “Night of The Zombies” on-trade promotion, offering consumers the chance to win Zombie experiences and Smart TV and Zombie movie packages.

Halloween is now worth an estimated £300m to pubs and bars and is seen as the third most important calendar occasion after Christmas and summer.

Following the success of last year’s Strongbow ‘Saint or Sinner’ campaign, the ‘Night of The Zombies’ promotion is set to run in 10,000 pubs and bars.

The campaign was created by integrated agency whynot! and runs until the 10th November nationwide.

Venues are being provided with Halloween kits including spider’s webs, Zombie caution tape and visibility-driving POS materials.

There are also over 3 million promotional scratchcards (300 per venue) which will be handed out with every pint of Strongbow bought (maximum two per person).

All scratchcards will entitle the consumer to discount vouchers off purchases from Prezzybox.com or Red Letter Days. Some give ‘instant win’ prizes  including t-shirts and tattoo sleeves and reward of some kind and also to the chance to win a major prize bundle. t-shirts and tattoo sleeves can be claimed from the bar.

To claim voucher rewards, consumers need to go online to www.facebook.com/strongbowuk or strongbowhalloween.com and enter their unique code and contact details.

All scratch card recipients can also enter online for the chance to become a “Winning Moment” prize winner.  To enter, they need to go online to Facebook or the competition site and enter their unique code and contact details.

There are a maximum of 75 prize bundles on offer including Ultimate Zombie Survival Kits which include three Zombie DVDs, a Zombie survival guide and a crate of Strongbow, Red Letter Day experiences including Military Activity Experiences and Zombie Battle Bunker Experiences, three Samsung 48″ 6 Series Smart Ultra HD 4K Curved LED TV plus four Zombie films on DVD and 20 Xbox One games consoles with one Zombie game.

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