Top marketing campaigns and news: June

Nyetimber

English sparkling winery Nyetimber became the first English fizz partner to the Cowdray Park Polo Club last month, meaning that the estate’s sparkling wines will be served to social members and visitors, and presented to victorious teams throughout the polo season.

Eric Heerema, the winery’s owner and CEO, said Cowdray Park is “one of the most historic properties in our home county of West Sussex.

“We look forward to working closely with Cowdray Park Polo Club during the world-famous summer season, as well as throughout the year to showcase the perfectly British nature of both Nyetimber and Cowdray Estate.”

Jonathan Russell, CEO of Cowdray Estate, said: “The events business at Cowdray, specifically Cowdray Park Polo Club, is more glamorous and exciting than ever before. We are thrilled to welcome such a fitting partner to Cowdray for the 2019 season, and look forward to celebrating the strength of two great British brands.”

This is Nyetimber’s second jump into equestrian sports this year. In May, the company named horse-riding stars William Fox-Pitt and Alice Plunkett as brand ambassadors for 2019 earlier this year.

Camden Town Brewery

In urban agriculture, London brewery Camden Town has partnered with Rootlabs to build what it has called “the UK’s first brewery-based urban vertical farm”, with 200 strawberry plants growing at its Enfield site.

Rootlabs constructs urban farms in the capital, and is the sister company of GrowUp Community Farms, a Bermondsey-based enterprise which aims to raise the profile of new urban farming techniques. Both companies champion the use of vertical farming, which saves space and uses 90% less water than traditional methods.

The strawberries will be used to brew Camden Town’s recently re-launched Strawberry Hells Forever beer.

The brewer will donate 20p from every can of Strawberry Hells that is sold to GrowUp Community Farms to help support their mission.

The strawberry plants are grown in columns to save space. Along with the site’s existing solar-panelled roof, energy storing heating equipment and recycled water system, it is part of Camden’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint.

Pernod Ricard

In music festivals, drinks giant Pernod Ricard has partnered with events group Boiler Room to launch the Boiler Room Festival series in London, the US and South Africa.

The first festival will take place in Copeland Park, south London, where a number of Pernod Ricard’s drinks brands will collaborate with Boiler Room to host a series of interactive, multimedia exhibitions that “tell the stories behind each of the festival’s music genres”.

Four Pernod Ricard brands will each support one of the core musical genres being showcased at the London Boiler Room Festival: jazz, supported by Beefeater Gin; rap, supported by Jameson; bass, supported by Ballantine’s; and club, supported by Absolut Vodka. “From the outset Boiler Room was created to provide a platform for underground talent and to connect music fans around the world to local scenes for authentic shared moments,” said Blaise Bellville, Boiler Room’s founder and CEO.

“With the Boiler Room Festival, we are creating a shared music moment on our biggest ever stage. It’s the culmination of everything we’ve built up over the best part of a decade, and we’re happy to have found in Pernod Ricard a partner who shares and supports this vision.”

Alexandre Ricard, CEO of Pernod Ricard, said: Blaise and I share the same values of community and authenticity, and I am very happy about our partnership to work alongside Boiler Room and have consumers get to know our brands.”

Johnnie Walker

Diageo’s blended Scotch whisky brand Johnnie Walker and Scottish Rugby have announced a three-year partnership which will see the spirit be exclusively served at all Scotland matches at the Murrayfield stadium.

The deal, which was announced on 25 June, will see Johnnie Walker become the official whisky partner of Scottish Rugby and the official whisky of the Scotland Rugby team.

The Scotch will also be served in pop-up bars in the stadium grounds, with ‘brand experiences’ planned for international match days.

MillerCoors

In tech stunts, MillerCoors-owned beer brand Miller Lite has created a beer can the doubles as a fully functioning gaming controller as part of its campaign to appeal to the “fast-growing population of gamers”. Called the Cantroller, the novelty but fully-functioning item is a 10-button games controller that has been incorporated into a 12-ounce can of Miller Lite.

The limited-edition cans, which are full of beer, launched in June in partnership with comedian and gamer Eric Andre.

As things stand, the cans are not for sale but fans were able to get one if they beat Andre on Street Fighter at the launch event in Los Angeles. They have rechargeable batteries that last for three hours and can be refrigerated. Miller Lite recommends keeping the can unopened for “optimal user experience”. It made 200 devices for the launch event and has plans to make “several hundred more”.

The Cantrollers were developed in partnership with technology company Unit 9. Flexible circuit board technology helps to connect the consoles to computers via Bluetooth.

Kronenbourg

In more beer-meets-tech,  Kronenbourg convinced footballer-turned-actor Eric Cantona to pledge to go into space and prove that it is “Le Taste Suprême” in the entire universe, in the words of the Kronenbourg marketing department.

In a mock press conference, Cantona announced his intention to travel into space at the start of June, in front of a sign that, instead of “NASA”, read: “ALSASA”.

Cantona and Kronenbourg announced the news by unveiling a life-sized levitating statue of the former at London Victoria train station.

Diageo

(Photo: Diageo/MTV)

Diageo and MTV International have collaborated on a YouTube video campaign designed to encourage “sensible” drinking.

Launched last month, the first of a planned series of videos entitled Weekend Not Wasted debuted on a number of media platforms, including MTV’s website, YouTube and other social media channels, with a further three released throughout June. The videos are targeted at the 18- to 24-year-old demographic, with a goal of reaching 12 million people on social media and 52m households in the UK, Spain, Denmark and Germany.

They were produced in collaboration with creative team Just So, hiring presenters Becca Dudley, Harriet Rose and Samuel Eni to discuss hangover-induced anxiety and to promote the benefits of moderate drinking, emphasising opportunities to “seize the day”.

John Kennedy, president for Europe, Turkey and India at Diageo, said: “It’s really important to us that young adults in Europe are informed and empowered to enjoy alcohol in a moderate and sensible way.”

Portman Group

Amy Powell of Promo Veritas (Photo: Promo Veritas/Portman)

Advertising compliance consultancy PromoVeritas and the Portman Group held a breakfast briefing on the dangers of mixing influencers with alcohol and the rules of drinks marketing on 19 June.

Amy Powell, PromoVeritas’ compliance manager, said there are more “complaints about alcohol ads than ever before.”

“If alcohol brands aren’t careful things will go the same way as the cigarette industry with strict government regulation and a complete ban on advertising.”

Bulmers

Peter Andre has swapped the microphone for a shovel and teamed up with cider producer Bulmers to restore a derelict orchard in Manchester.

The I’m a Celebrity veteran took part in the day-long restoration project last month which marked the anniversary of a five-year partnership between Bulmers and The Orchard Project, a charity that recovers and rebuilds orchards in the UK.

Dubbed Orchard Force SOS, Andre, alongside a team of 35 local volunteers, helped to plant trees, restore signs, pave paths and remove weeds from the site in Manchester’s Platt Fields Park.

i Heart Wines

At the start of last month, one of the UK’s largest wine brands, i heart, announced it is launching its first television advertising campaign.

The advert has been airing during Love Island on ITV2 as well as the ITVhub and during entertainment shows on 4OD.

The first such campaign the brand has ever done, the ad is described as “simple, straight-talking and fun”, designed to reflect the “brand’s essence” and drive “engagement and awareness” of the brand’s still and sparkling wine offering.