Top 10 marketing campaigns: July

Nyetimber teams with Ben Ainslie Racing

English sparkling wine producer Nyetimber has signed a three-year partnership with Ben Ainslie Racing, the team hoping to bring the America’s Cup to Britain. Nyetimber Classic Cuvée, rosé and demi-sec will be enjoyed by guests of the team during the official America’s Cup World Series racing at events around the world, and served at the team’s new home on Camber Quay in Portsmouth. An hour’s drive from Nyetimber’s West Sussex estate, Ben Ainslie Racing’s headquarters feature a nautical-inspired Nyetimber bar on the roof terrace. “We’re proud to be teaming up with a British brand that’s both local to our headquarters and shares the same values as the team,” said Sir Ben Ainslie.

Campari gets colourful with arty labels

Italian bitters brand Campari has unveiled limited edition Art Labels featuring a sketch by Futurist artist Fortunato Depero reimagined with the use of bold block colours. The project was first launched in 2010 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the brand. New for 2015 are three limited edition labels that riff on a sketch of a Campari pavilion designed in 1933 for an international exposition held in Milan, which, as luck would have it, is now the setting for the 2015 Universal Exposition, which runs from May to October. Campari worked with Francesca Valan, an Italian colour expert and consultant who collaborates with global colour authority X-Rite Pantone, to select the best hues for the design. The Art Labels have gone on sale at Waitrose and Sainsbury for £16 a bottle.

Oddbins launches search for super taster

High street wine merchant Oddbins is on the hunt for the UK’s “ultimate amateur palate”, as it launches its The Palate 2015 contest. Now in its fourth year, The Palate 2015 invites wine lovers from across the UK to enter for the chance to show off their skills as a “super taster”. The aim of the competition is to help “smash through the snobbery that still dogs the wine world”, according to one of its judges, the wine critic and educator Sarah Ahmed. Last year 21,000 people took part in the competition, which will this year see contestants whittled down over four increasingly challenging rounds, culminating in wine “Boot Camps” hosted by Sarah Ahmed, TV presenters Peter Richards MW and Susie Richards MW and Oddbins’ buyer Ana Sapungiu, with the final due to be filmed in London.

Southern Comfort strips off and tans up for summer

Southern Comfort is urging UK consumers to embrace “Whatever’s Comfortable” with a new advert debuting in cinemas this summer. Called “Spray Tan”, the latest phase of the campaign is, as you may have guessed, set in a tanning salon and features a motley crew of men dressed in little more than shower caps, paper pants and slippers enjoying a spray tan and a Southern Comfort with lemonade and lime in a glass jar – the brand’s summer serve. “We’re excited to unveil the latest instalment in our campaign as the British summer finally gets underway,” said marketing manager Gwen Ridsdale. “The light and fruity taste of Southern Comfort, lemonade and a squeeze of fresh lime makes it a perfect summer drink for our target audience of 18-24 year olds to enjoy and the new creative communicates this message while capturing the irreverent personality of the brand.”

Stolichnaya sets sights on summer

Vodka brand Stolichnaya will toast the start of the summer season in Ibiza at Ushuaïa Ibiza Beach Hotel and Hard Rock Hotel Ibiza as part of a new collaboration to help cement the brand as the island’s go-to vodka. The three-year agreement includes a wide range of co-branding activities, sponsorships, competitions, social media content and a co-branded clothing line. As part of the hook-up, Stoli will sponsor DJ Armin Van Buuren’s set at Ushuaïa.

“We’re very excited to show the world’s most discerning clubbers and cocktail drinkers the unique character and spirit of Stoli,” said Jean-Dominique Andreu, regional managing director for Europe at the Stoli group.

Barefoot creates giant sand ‘SOS’

California wine brand Barefoot has launched its eighth annual Beach Rescue Project with a giant SOS signal in the sand on Morecambe Bay in Lancashire. The initiative, encouraging people to keep Britain’s beaches “Barefoot friendly”, will travel to six beaches across the UK this summer. The expansive work of art represents 1,625g of litter for each square metre – totalling the 13 tonnes that has been collected over the last seven years from over 50 of the UK’s most popular beaches as part of the project. The hashtag #BarefootFriendly has been incorporated into the design. Bars made entirely of sand are being created at each beach location, and will be serving the Barefoot Wine range, including the new Barefoot Refresh spritzers.

Sailor Jerry hits the road

This August, rum brand Sailor Jerry will be hitting the road for two weeks of “bad-ass bikes, smokin’ wood-fired BBQs, sunsets and live music”. The brand has teamed up with east London bike specialists, Kingdom of Kicks, to build a custom made, 1950s Harley Davidson. Beginning in London, the bike will traverse the UK taking in Brighton, Cornwall, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Leeds, making pitstops in local bars to take in the live music. The Harley will be rolling into Grillstock in September, where chef Danny Cheetham will serve Sailor Jerry-marinated Spam fritters and Sailor Jerry-spiked slaw with papaya, chilli and pineapple.

Disaronno DJs 

Disaronno Terrace Launch, Shoreditch, London

Disaronno will revive its Terrace series this summer, kicking off the campaign at London rooftop bar Golden Bee, and then moving to Bristol, Manchester and Edinburgh. The parties will be soundtracked by live performances from the likes of Italian singer-songwriter Jack Savoretti and British vocalist Ghostpoet, who will be taking to the decks. Other headline acts include Dry The River and Mystery Jets. During the events, guests will be served signature sip the Disaronno Sour. Last year’s Disaronno Terrace series attracted thousands of cocktail lovers across the UK.

Chambord revives the flamingo

Black raspberry liqueur Chambord is targeting female consumers with the return of its “Because No Reason” ad campaign, encouraging them to add Chambord to their glass of sparkling wine. Two adverts, featuring a flamingo standing on one leg and a lady blowing her trumpet will return to TV and computer screens this month. The campaign invites its audience to “ignore the pressure to conform to social norms that prevent them from being themselves,” according to the brand. “The campaign conveys Chambord’s playful, free-spirited personality and luxurious, feminine feel,” explained Hilary Brown, senior brand manager for Brown-Forman. “We’re confident it will help us to continue to build brand affinity with women around the country who are looking for new, interesting experiences from drinking occasions this summer.”

Fosters toasts on “helluva” tour

Australian lager brand Foster’s has partnered with Channel 4 on a branded short- form entertainment series Helluva Tour for its digital platform. Footage from the new series, which will launch on All 4 this autumn, will be aired on Channel 4 and E4 later this year as part of the “Foster’s Original Comedy on 4” sponsorship, in a first for branded shorts. The series follows a cast of four strangers as they take a 17,000-mile road trip in a Bedford Rascal camper van from London to Australia, where Foster’s was first brewed back in 1888.

Beefeater goes on the record

London dry gin Beefeater has unveiled Beefeater London Sounds, the first in a series of annual packaging innovations that invites consumers to celebrate the legacy of London music. Inspired by London’s rich musical heritage, limited edition bottles feature a graphic of a vinyl record with a beefeater in the middle of a Union Jack in the centre. In addition, the brand has hooked up with music streaming app Spotify to create an interactive music map of London hosted on Beefeater’s website, which enables users to listen to some of London’s most iconic tunes taking in punk, rock and reggae. “Our partnership with Spotify will allow consumers to experience London’s musical spirit through exclusive content. We’re certain that the limited edition bottle will appeal to gin and music enthusiasts around the world,” said JC Iglesias, global brand director for Beefeater.