Moet Hennessy's New Campaign

Keep an eye out for the first campaign for Moet Hennessy USA by Berlin Cameron United which encourages consumers to show off their good taste. Although fundamentally different from Courvoisier's the idea of good taste does overlap with some of the recent press executions for the 'Earn It' campaign so it will be interesting to see in which direction the ads go.

The campaign plans to feature seven Internet spots, three TV spots, and print ads in GQ, Vanity Fair, and Vibe. Nothing is up on xtreme.com yet but watch this space for the new website as well - www.FlauntYourTaste.com - which will carry the commercials. Music for the ads is created by Pharrell.

House of Courvoisier BET Party

How well did this promotion go? Quite brilliantly if you have a look at Mingle Now.

Here are some of the many hugely positive comments leading up to the event:

"this looks like it is going to be the party of a lifetime. i work all of the time , and could i have some fun here. now is the appointed time, today is the day of my amazing good fortune. i say this prayer every day."

"I would love to party with some celebs and enjoy the party."

And here's a few of the comments afterwards:

"The show was so great and THANK YOU to all our winners for coming out and having a great time!!! the after part was amazing- JD, Biz Markie, Big Tigger, Chris Brown....to name a few. love to everyone who was there, thank you for traveling out to LA for the party! Moira"

With over 300 photos in the Courvoisier gallery you can see how amazingly popular the event was.









It's great to see a medium being used well. Mingle Now is a great platform that enables the built in talkability of the event to be sticky and stay in peoples' minds.

I can't see why you'd ever want to do an event like this without supporting it through MingleNow. If you haven't already got access to Mingle Now I suggest you sign yourself up and have a look around. It's a social network tailor made for booze marketing.

Maker's Mark on Flickr

From drp on Flickr:

I saw this and was amazed. It's not that I haven't seen chatter about brands on Flickr before. It's not the first time I've seen beautiful bottle shots being chatted about on Flickr before.

But it is the first time I've seen people getting genuinely excited about a brand on Flickr in such a way as to develop a cultish following. People love pictures and people love stories. It connects with something deep inside ourselves.

Here's what drp's text said:

"In May of 2005, Maker's Mark celebrated its 47th year of putting its whisky into bottles for sale. When T. William Samuels created Maker's Mark he was already bucking a downward trend in the bourbon industry. Why would any sane entrepreneur build into an industry where there was already excess capacity and the trend was going the wrong direction?

Samuels' conviction was that there was a hidden, unserved market for a different kind of bourbon than was on the market in the 1950s. He saw a market for an elegant whisky. There was, in his thinking, a customer who was not buying bourbon because the bourbons on the market in the 1950s lacked refinement. Instead of the relatively heavy, harsh, minimally aged bourbons so common in the post-Prohibition and post World War II era, Samuels sought to create a more refined, clean, smooth, delicate whisky. After all, why couldn't a native American bourbon be just as elegant as some French brandy? Samuels saw no reason why there could not be such a whisky.

So, he experimented with a variety of formulations and distilling apparati. From the Old Fitzgerald distillery in Louisville he learned how a mash bill that replaced the traditional rye with wheat could produce a whisky that was still full on the palate, but which lacked the coarseness that a heavy dose of rye would add. Although he dabbled with an old copper pot still as part of the process, he chose to go with a traditional copper column still.

And so that the public would understand that this whisky was meant to be elegant, Samuels (with the advice of his wife) settled on the distinctive Maker's Mark shaped bottled dipped in the trade-mark red wax.

Samuels seems to have been right. Not wanting to be a flash in the pan, Maker's Mark has focused on steady, sustainable growth. Without becoming trendy, it has grown every single year of its existence. Indeed, it has now grown to the point where Maker's Mark worries that it will not have sufficient bourbon to satisfy its market."

And here are some of the many comments he got:

"some friends visited the distellery once and brought us back a bottle that they had dipped in the wax themselves

Interesting. I didn't know this story. Cool shot too.

When I want to order something cool and classic, I get a Maker's Mark on the rocks. No frou-frou drinks for this girl!

sealed with wax. vibrant red wax. just elegant. as usual, a great picture.

My drink of choice, I had the "gold" the other day - amazing.

GREEAAAAT macro... that bright red color of the seal is incredible...

and your story, as ever, is very good and good teaching! THANKS!

Oh yeah... a Maker's on the rocks, please. Nice shot, Duane! Cheers.

Looks so real--but could not pry it loose from my screen.
Just last week I convinced my old man to try this (I liked the bottle, my method of shopping) and now we're hooked.
I don't even drink and yet this floats gladly on the tongue--
Just proves my old axiom: when ANYthing edible is made correctly, it's good.

This is a wonderful photo of a wonderful bourbon. (Consider adding Knob Creek to your collection as well. :)

Ahhh... my favorite. The Champagne of Bourbons...

Beautiful shot! I love how sexy the red sealing wax is.

This is so neat - a great story, but an even better photo. If I could drink, I'd want to try this just because of the way you've captured the bottle. :-)

Wow! I'm not a whiskey fan myself, but my guy loves it; single malt from the Scottish isles by preference although we tend to have a bottle of bourbon in the house as well.

I don't think he's ever tried Maker's Mark but I'm going to get him a bottle ;)"

I find it amazing how much love there is for this brand. It distills down to three things:
1. Great product.
2. Great story.
3. Great bottle.

This Flickr page is awash with insights ripe for gathering as you can track the people who are enthusiastic about it. Moreover, you can see that this post has lead not only to buzz, but also directly to sales. Stunning.

Shot down in flames

From Beverage Daily

"The party could be over for manufacturers of alcoholic shots and shooters in the UK, as an industry body this week called time on any industry practices that promote rapid drinking.

Under new initiatives announced Tuesday by industry social responsibility body the Portman Group, from 1 January 2008, any alcohol marketed within the UK will be prohibited from encouraging consumers from consuming in a single go.

The announcement comes as alcohol producers face increasing pressure to promote responsibility in how their products are consumed, by restricting how they advertise and promote their brands.

The decision is part of a number of proposals designed to curb growing levels of irresponsible drinking, particularly in teenagers, and comes on the back of moves to restrict advertising on children's replica sports shirts.

Portman Group chief executive David Poley said the latest measures were an attempt by the industry to step up protection for its consumers.

"Downing drinks is potentially damaging because it can cause people quickly to get drunk," he stated.

Though emphasizing the importance for individuals to take responsibility for how they consume drinks, Poley said that the industry did not wish to add to growing concerns over alcohol abuse.

"In the end, only drinkers can control the way they drink," he stated. "Producers want to promote responsible behaviour and not a drinking style which can be harmful."

The ban will cover how a drink is named and labelled, to sampling practices, websites, branded merchandise, and any form of promotional material.

Any pre-packaged alcohol product found to breach these new guidelines by the drinks marketing body, the Independent Complaints Panel, will be removed from sale until it complies with the ruling.

The new proposals will have some restrictions though. Complaints over how advertising promotes irresponsible drinking will remain under the jurisdiction of the Advertising Standards Authority. Individual promotions by bars and clubs will likewise be the responsibility of the British Beer and Pub Association's guidelines.

Nonetheless, the restrictions could still have a detrimental affect on the UK spirit's market, which has seen strong growth in value over the last five years, according to consumer analyst Euromonitor.

The Spirits category, which includes gins, vodkas, tequila and liquors, was in 2006 worth ₤8.5bn (€12.6bn) in the UK alone, from just ₤7.6bn (€11.2bn) in 2001, say Euromonitor figures."

Dom Perignon

From LVMH via Notcot:

"What drew me to this project was my love of Dom Pérignon. "My vision of the brand Dom Pérignon is very much about luxury. It's about the finest champagne that you can drink. It's about pleasure. It’s about enjoying yourself. It's about having fun but I think first and foremost for me, it's about having a sense of style, a sense of class and really savouring one of the great pleasures in life."

When Marc Newson decided to "reinterpret" the iconic Dom Pérignon bottle, the result was certain to be impressive: a sculptural rendition of the timeless bottle in the intense neon green the designer is best known for.

Exclusively designed to hold a Dom Pérignon Magnum, serving guests "Dom Pérignon by Marc Newson" becomes a tantalising and spectacular event.

Newson has kept the essence of the original shape of the bottle and added a silver version of the Dom Pérignon label. His signature is featured on the back in bright orange. Closed, the "Dom Pérignon by Marc Newson" measures an impressive 70 cm (27 inches).

"The design of this object belies its practicality – it is more than just a receptacle to hold a bottle of champagne. The material that it’s made of has the ability to actually insulate the ice and then to keep it cold (…). There is a very, very functional aspect to this product which could be overlooked simply because of its bold appearance."

A very limited edition, for the lucky few who will have the privilege to enjoy it, "Dom Pérignon by Marc Newson" is a true object of desire."

Bacardi Bespoke Bar Service

From Springwise:

Bacardi Bespoke is a service from Bacardi in the UK that brings bars to customers' homes or offices. The bars come complete with glasses, ice, equipment, expert cocktail mixologists, a portable bar and a DJ.

Naturally, the bartenders make everything with Bacardi, having created new versions of classic cocktails to incorporate Bacardi rum. Cocktail lists are personalised to a host's taste and a party's theme or vibe. In essence small-scale sponsored and branded events, Bespoke home parties are subsidised by Bacardi, so prices aren't as high as would be expected from a professional service (contact Bacardi Bespoke for details).

Spiked with a splash of tryvertising, Bacardi Bespoke is great example of what trendwatching.com has defined as the insperience trend: consumers' desire to bring top-level experiences into their domestic domain. Product seeding combined with something consumers want -- no reason why this wouldn't work equally well for other brands and other industries. Be inspired, and get the party started!

Contact: info@bacardibespoke.com "

Here's the content from the Bacardi site:



"Bacardi Bespoke is a prestige service for the House party generation. All those involved, from the Mixology team to the DJs and production designers, are leaders in their fields. And most importantly weve got you, our party hosts.

Bacardi Bespoke delivers a quality experience. Theres no embarrassing pazzaz or marketing spiel. We bring our cocktail party hospitality team - the best in the business, they handled backstage at Live8 and Glastonbury this year - to your space with all the gear they need... a bar, equipment, glasses, ice. Then there are the bespoke party soundtracks lovingly dedicated to cd by our world leading DJ's. Every element we employ throughout the service is the best, from the premium Bacardi Rums to our specially-commissioned bars and even the (arguably phallic) plastic muddlers.

The Bacardi Bespoke site here celebrates the House party, its history and its many forms. Within you'll find features anonymously contributed by some of the UK's finest style and music journalists, photography by Austin Harragin, artwork and graphics from the legendary artist known as Mode2, immaculate embroidery from Laura Lees and exclusive House party mix CDs by some of the Worlds most legendary contemporary DJs such as Cosmo, Rob Mello and Qool DJ Marv. We built it all, the way it should be, with love, passion and understanding, just like our rum cocktails themselves. Its a service you'll enjoy through your selected membership.

And your membership doesnt just count for a one-off cocktail party, we want to do more things together. We're already working on ways to evolve Bespoke. Your feedback and involvement is actively encouraged. Correspond through the useful 'contact us' button at the top of the screen to let us know your thoughts and experiences of the Bacardi Bespoke experience.

Enjoy yourselves here. And certainly at the parties.

“It was wicked to be served cocktails while hanging out with friends in a relaxed atmosphere”
Felix Buxton, Basement Jaxx"

Facebook Polls

Not the Polish version of Facebook... this is the new Facebook service that allows you to pay for quick single question multiple choice polls that take under an hour to complete and can be conducted by segment.

From Organic:



"Some of you may be aware that Facebook launched a polling service last week that allows you to run a flash poll across the Facebook network. You get to ask a single question and provide up to 5 multiple choice answers. The pricing is flexible as you pay per response. You can pay as little as .25 for a response or up to $1. The higher the price, the quicker your poll will be completed. We recently did a few polls here in New York and a $1/response poll was completed in about 25 minutes while a .25/response poll was completed in about 45 minutes.

In addition, you can segment your audience by interest, age, gender and location.

While this information isn't exactly scientific, its a great way to test the waters of an idea or get some insight from the community. A little knowledge can go a long way."