Brands on Tour
If you're not touring college towns, what are you even doing?
Good morning, how we feeling? Hope you all enjoyed this past weekend and are already making plans for this weekend. Okay, some news.
🍻Kendall Jenner is Now a Bartender at College Dives
Temporarily. On a grand tour of the Midwest, Jenner made stops at bars near college campuses to pour shots for students and play darts with sorority sisters all in the name of 818, her tequila brand. She visited Ohio State, University of Illinois, University of Michigan, as well as a Kroger in Bloomington, Indiana. She definitely generated hype in places she wouldn’t normally find herself in, as social media was overrun by posts from students, fan accounts, and even Barstool Sports. This tour comes on the tail of many other brands also touring the country looking to engage with their audience. Hally Hair is currently visiting University of Alabama and plans to pop up at the Alabama vs. Tennessee this weekend. Glossier recently wrapped up their You Look Good Tour after visiting Columbus, Nashville, and Austin. Lastly, Kulfi Beauty’s Color Me Kulfi Tour was in Dallas just last week offering a chance to try the makeup and enjoy sweet treats that share the brand’s name. Tours are no longer just for artists. Brands are pivoting from online engagement to IRL engagement in order to increase brand awareness and make lasting connections with consumers.
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🐯Tony the Tiger Workin Overtime
A nonprofit fighting food waste broke a Guinness World Record by toppling a domino chain of 12,952 cereal boxes. Love that this story was reported on as a heartfelt win for charity. But interestingly enough, the cereal box domino chain was set off by Kellogg's mascot Tony the Tiger. Also, all the cereal boxes used were donated by Kelloggs, which will in turn be donated to local food banks. Part of me thinks this was a marketing move, but the other part of me thinks in light of recent reports of declining cereal demand that this was a way for them to write off some produce that just wasn’t moving.
🍸Tanqueray Bottled Negronis and Ketel One Espresso Martinis Have Arrived
These are not your average canned cocktails. Beverage Giant Diago, parent company of all your favorite spirit brands, has released a collection of premium ready to drink (RTD) cocktails. The offering includes a Ketel One Vodka Espresso Martini, Ketel One Vodka Cosmopolitan, and Tanqueray Gin Negroni, which join the Bulleit Manhattan and Bulleit Old Fashioned, already available on shelves. It’s no secret that canned cocktails gained popularity in the pandemic with 42% sales growth from 2020 to 2021, but they’re proving to have staying power as the ultra-premium tier of the RTD category has seen 49% growth in the last year alone. Also, they just make fun gifts. I predict a lot of dads will be finding Bulleit Manhattans in their stockings on Christmas morning.
🍋 Sprite with Absolut Vodka
Here to compete in the RTD space is Coca-Cola Company who recently teamed up with Pernod Ricard on a pre-mixed cocktail of Sprite and Absolut Vodka. The brands hope that this appeals to the Absolut Vodka and lemonade drinkers, which seems better for a summertime launch as opposed to winter. Their initially testing this out in Europe starting early 2024, so it may likely be summer by the time they launch stateside. At that point, I bet we have a few more top names join the ultra-premium tier of RTDs.
Collab Roundup
🍩Deux + Chamberlain Coffee = donut
A Cinnamon Sugar donut hole with a vanilla cake base and cinnamon icing, but with added B12 and L-theanine.
🌺Ruby Hibiscus Water + Bjornqorn popcorn = Tangy Salty Popcorn
Popcorn sprinkled with hibiscus extract. “It’s like a salt and vinegar chip in a flamin’ hot Cheetos costume.”
🎃Magnolia Bakery + Talea Beer = Pumpkin Pudding Ale
Inspired by Magnolia’s infamous Pumpkin Spice Pudding and Talea’s Basically Pumpkin Autumn Ale, but with extra spices and sweetness.
💃Francia Raisa + La Victoria Brand = Salsa
The actress teamed up with iconic pantry staple La Victoria Brand to create a modern take on her grandma’s salsa recipes.
🍔Smashburger and Gyoza Dubbed Real Words
Lastly, a few fun words already in our lexicon just became officially recognized thanks to our patron saint, Merriam-Webster.
Enjoy your Wednesday!