At one time, Pabst Blue Ribbon was a great brand. Through bad marketing (or no marketing), it declined. Then, some college kids found out that it tasted just as good as Bud. And they renamed it PBR and it became hip again. Of course it was a bit more complicated thanMORE HERE
Some items from the headlines, and files: The Plymouth brand has been getting an “Old Fashioned” bit of exposure in the new Bacon & Blue ad for Wendy’s. The ad is getting some great airtime, pleasing Mopar fans to no end. It looks to be a 1969 Belvedere in theMORE HERE
There is a parallel going on in Scotland and Puerto Rico. The Diageo brands Captain Morgan and Johnnie Walker are both in the throes of being moved, and both are against the will of locals. Captain Morgan is an interesting case; critics have pounced on the fact that it isMORE HERE
Here’s a word relationship that won’t be on S.A.T. tests. As Schweppes is the top brand for tonic water, Canada Dry is the top brand for ginger ale. This pre-1960 guide, from the collection of the late attorney Charles P. Pollard, shows a historic, and sellable, image of the brand.MORE HERE
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Home to numerous micro-breweries and a Budweiser plant, the visitor’s bureau here has come up with a tour of locally made beer brands, from Budweiser to regional craft brews. Located 50 miles north of Denver, Fort Collins has been called the Napa Valley of Beer. ThereMORE HERE
As celebrity culture has become more trashy, so has the risk for the consumer and luxury brands associated with those stars. The most recent example? The Hennessy cognac brand owned by Paris-based LVMH Group. Think of this. Your historic brand, the leading cognac brand in the world, is associated with theMORE HERE
KILMARNOCK, SCOTLAND – Great brands are associated with a place. This is true even more with alcohol other products that have elastic demands. The place of manufacture adds to the allure of the brand, and that helps build a market for it. You differentiate your liquor product not only byMORE HERE
There is something very 1970s about The Club pre-mixed martinis. Is it the idea that it is somehow too difficult to mix vermouth and gin? Or that it is too hard to find a cup, and you can use the top to drink it? That’s the question we asked ourselvesMORE HERE
Bourbon is one of the anti-fashion drinks, and Mattingly & Moore is one of those anti-fashion brands. Rarely advertised and founded in 1876, it lives at liquor stores with an aging core audience and some devoted younger fans who find it hip. From Bardstown, Kentucky, it resides in a landMORE HERE
St. LOUIS – So AB Inbev releases its new logo, just after its takeover of Anheuser-Busch. At the same time, it is preparing layoffs. These layoffs were in preparation just before Christmas. According to AP, there are to be about 1,500 fired. Apparently, some were proposed before the buyout, butMORE HERE