Liquor Goes on Tour

by erica ~ October 24, 2008

A new phenomenon has struck the liquor industry. As part of new marketing campaigns, liquor companies are launching unique tours to gain more recognition for their products. Two recent examples are Hennessy Cognac and Dos Equis beer.

Hennessey created a tour to engage their consumers by involving a curator who will represent the style of Hennessy, according to this press release. The Third Annual Hennessey Concert Series executed the “Flaunt Your Taste” campaign. Of course, the tour featured the brand’s signature cocktails: Hennessy Sidecar, Hennessy Mojito and Hennessy Ginger, which showcased the cognac’s classic and trendy flavor to major U.S. cities encouraging the art of global mixing. Musicians like Ne-Yo, Ashanti, and Eve headlined the concerts in L.A., Chicago, Miami, and New Orleans.

Similarly, Dos Equis, which was bought by Heineken in 2005, takes its tour to the extreme. The Most Interesting Show in the World Tour will feature a number of attention-grabbing acts, including Japanese robotic dancers, fire jugglers and French burlesque singers. Jim Rose, who is known for swallowing glass, plunging nails and needles into his body, and other assorted demonstrations, will be hosting these “interesting” shows.

Why have they created such crazy shows you ask? “We’re focused on creating an engaging experience built around the essence of the ad campaign and the relevant passions and interests of our consumers,” Elizabeth Costa, Heineken USA’s events and sponsorship director for Dos Equis, tells Brandweek.  “The Most Interesting Show in the World is a natural way to bring to life the intrinsic qualities and allure of the ‘The Most Interesting Man in the World.’”

I guess TV and internet marketing is just not cutting it for them these days so they resort to throwing huge parties with ridiculous themes. I haven’t personally been to one of these shindigs but I know some people who have.  All it seems to be is a free event that’s fairly hard to get into, but if you do, you can drink like a fish and not even know why you’re there!