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

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

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

The esteemed food critic Pongo Twistleton, who wrote for the weekly newspaper The Richmond State, disagreed with the drink Zima and thought it was lame in so many ways. Turns out that MillerCoors has eliminated the brand, which makes Pongo so very happy. The story from Brandweek is below. http://www.technologymarketing.com/bw/content_display/news-and-features/packaged-goods/e3i10333d62a57e715fdd8fe3bf74bcb092MORE HERE

Great American brand names, when they return, not only elicit a burst of happy nostalgia, they can also make consumers buy things. Such is the case of the reintroduction of original formula Schlitz beer. Schlitz, with its unforgettable “Go for the Gusto” campaign, was one of the great national beerMORE HERE