Reserve Brands behind festive premium spirits

Published: 29 October, 2010

Diageo GB's luxury spirits division will be investing in an extensive programme of initiatives across its portfolio to help retailers boost their premium spirits sales this Christmas.

Reserve Brands Group will be highlighting cocktails in-store through the Bartenders' Choice initiative, which provides consumers with easy to make cocktail recipes. It will feature images of perfect serves and display clear information about how to create cocktails at home.

The initiative, which includes Smirnoff Black vodka, Tanqueray London Dry gin, Pampero rum, J&B, Grand Marnier and Jose Cuervo Tradicional tequila will also include money off the variants stocked, tear off cocktail recipe cards and promotions in in-store magazines. The year-round activity will peak at Christmas and again during key sales periods in spring and summer.

Reserve Brands Group will also be encouraging consumers to explore the diverse flavours of the malt whisky category by showing the best combinations with real ale. Awareness will be driven via above-the-line and PR campaigns from November to April 2011 and activated across the grocery channel through mailers, joint promotions, and cross category promotional activity.

Dedicated fixtures showcasing the Johnnie Walker Blended Scotch whisky range will also be featured in selected grocery outlets and to celebrate its official partnership with the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 team, a limited edition Johnnie Walker Black Label gift pack will launch for the festive season.

Each pack will give consumers the chance to win motorsport experiences and prizes, including a money can't buy ticket to live the glamorous lifestyle by joining Lewis and Jenson Button in Monaco over the Grand Prix weekend.

Rob Ward, head of Reserve Brands, said: "We know that the festive season presents a huge opportunity for retailers to sell more premium spirits, with both gifting and entertaining important shopper trends.

"Our Bartenders' Choice initiative is an essential part of our strategy which spans all off-trade channels and which we believe will help begin a Cocktail Revolution amongst consumers. Across the board, we hope our programme of innovative solutions will really boost sales for retailers this season."

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