Promo Parade

New 7UP Campaign Mixes It Up

1 (10)7UP has launched a new creative direction in an integrated campaign. The “Mix It UP a Little” campaign spotlights the classic soft drink as an essential staple for baking, cooking and, of course, cocktails.

The campaign showcases the versatility of 7UP and leans into the truth that not only is 7UP a great beverage on its own, but you can do a lot with 7UP – from creating mixed drinks to punching up food recipes. With no other brand positioning themselves as a versatile add-in within the soda category, 7UP expands into a new territory.

The new spots leverage insights from consumers about the ways in which they already use the product as a mixer – and their claims that 7UP is the only lemon lime soda that works best as a mixer. The first spot, “Yacht”, which launched today features party hosts preparing a tray of crowd pleasing cocktails and then transports them to various social scenes, with a cameo from rapper 2 Chainz. A corresponding spot, “Granny”, highlights 7UP’s usefulness in the kitchen.

Digital videos provide a variety of recipes that incorporate 7UP and help the consumer create everything from bundt cake to kimchi to punch. The videos feature M.C. and rapper Sir Mix-a-Lot mixing and playfully naming his own custom recipes such as a “Bubble Bundt” cake and “Mrs. Butterworth Be Jalapeño Business” cocktail. On the brand site, a recipe generator features food and cocktail recipes, helping hosts find the best refreshment for their gathering – like girls’ night, dinner parties, backyard parties and more.

The campaign support will continue through upcoming activations, with a Tastemade partnership and exclusive retail partnership, as well as a yet to be revealed big summer kick-off.


FitWhey Named the Official RTD Protein Beverage of Spartan Race

2 (8)BFit Brands has announced a new partnership between Spartan Race – an organization that stages a national series of obstacle races of varying distance and difficulty levels – and FitWhey, the fitness beverage that combines protein and functional energy.

FitWhey and Spartan Race kicked off their new partnership at the Sprint & Super event at Fort McDowell Rodeo Grounds in Arizona. FitWhey was named the “official RTD protein beverage” of the event, with more events planned for 2017. As sponsor, FitWhey had a significant presence at the event, including the promotion of the FitWhey brand prominently throughout the event. Company reps handed out complimentary FitWhey samples to Spartan Race participants.

Spartan Race is the world’s leading obstacle race company, with more than 170 events in over 25 countries. It has more than 1 million global participants, with more than 5 million passionate social media followers, as well as a popular NBC television series.


Me & the Bees Lemonade’s Kid Entrepreneur Featured on ABC’s “20/20”

3 (5)Me & the Bees Lemonade and its twelve-year-old founder were featured in a recent episode of ABC’s news show “20/20.” The episode “Shark Tank on 20/20: The Road to $100 Million in Deals” highlighted the lemonade founder, Mikaila Ulmer and her success as a millennial entrepreneur following her 2015 appearance on the ABC hit show, “Shark Tank.” The “20/20” episode also featured a handful of other business that have collectively closed $100 million dollars in deals during individual appearances on “Shark Tank.”

Me & the Bees, formerly known as BeeSweet Lemonade, was conceptualized eight years ago, by a then four-year-old Mikaila. What started out as a local lemonade stand inspired by Makaila’s fascination with the prolific pollinators, is now a line of natural lemonades distributed throughout the Southern U.S. and along the East Coast in retailers including Whole Foods Market and Wegmans. It is also available in Mikaila’s hometown of Austin, Texas at locations including W Austin and Fresh Plus.

The “20/20” airing will profile, among others, the success of Me & the Bees which has grown more than 400 percent since debuting on “Shark Tank.” Success for the brand, also equates to saving bees — a passion of Mikaila’s that bloomed at the initial launch of her lemonade stand. A portion of proceeds from each sale goes to organizations invested in the future of the planet and supporting honeybees.


A Celebration of AGAVE AND EEEEEATS Presented by The Infatuation, #HashtagLunchbag and Tequila Don Julio

Tequila Don Julio has partnered with The Infatuation, a digital guide to all things food and drink, on a nationwide private dinner series. Attendees will feast on family-style dinners and will be treated to an ode to the brands’ expertise in two areas: agave and #eeeeeats. Guests will enjoy Mexico’s original luxury craft tequila alongside custom curated menus from a collection of top chefs and bartenders in the U.S.

While guests will delightfully satiate, they will also be giving back to the community beyond the one created at the dinner table, as their attendance will benefit #HashtagLunchbag, a nonprofit organization that provides meals directly to those in need. The series will feature six private dinners kicking off in New York City with additional stops in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Austin and Chicago.

4 (3)Agave and EEEEEATS will bring together chefs and bartenders from city to city, hosting dinners at hotspots that not even The Infatuation has gotten the chance to write about yet, opening the doors to the places that trendsetters don’t even know they should be dreaming of. Chefs in each city will also share the food from the table with those less fortunate that will be distributed with the help of #HashtagLunchbag the following day in each city.

The Infatuation has fostered a community that is serious about food, but doesn’t take food too seriously, creating the perfect mindset for the inaugural guests of Agave and EEEEEATS.

Like Tequila Don Julio and The Infatuation, #HashtagLunchbag was created first as a passion project, that ultimately ended up bringing together communities.


XYIENCE Energy Drink Announces New Original Campus Insiders Video Content

5 (1)XYIENCE, the zero-calorie energy beverage, has teamed up with Campus Insiders, the premier digital destination and content source for college sports fans, for the second year to produce a new series hosted by veteran sports journalist Seth Davis, titled “Don’t Mess with Seth.” In addition, XYIENCE is sponsoring a national sweepstakes which will send a lucky fan and a guest to the 2017 national college basketball championship weekend in Phoenix, Ariz.

In the new series titled “Don’t Mess with Seth,” Davis will discuss the college basketball season headlines leading up to the national championship. XYIENCE will serve as the program’s title sponsor as well as advertise on the Campus Insiders network throughout the season leading up to the national college basketball tournament.

The “VIP Experience” includes airfare, hotel stay and access to the 2017 national college basketball semi-final and final games. The winner also receives credentials granting floor and behind-the-scenes access with Campus Insiders on-air talent. The sweepstakes will be promoted online and supported with in-store point-of-sale displays.


HENNESSY: A Toast to the World’s Preeminent Spirit

7Lavishly illustrated, “HENNESSY: A Toast to the World’s Preeminent Spirit,” is the first book on the world’s most famous Cognac producer. Considered a benchmark of excellence, its blends have become icons of refinement and luxury. In HENNESSY, renowned writer and bon vivant Glenn O’Brien invites the reader to discover the history of Cognac. The highly entertaining text, filled with extraordinary events and O’Brien’s irresistible humor, is married with classic cocktail recipes and evocative imagery that conveys the lifestyle of the Hennessy connoisseur through the ages, including the Mad Men of the 1960s and today’s stars of hip-hop.

Featuring contributions from such cultural luminaries as Shepard Fairey, Nas, Futura, Fab 5 Freddy, Arik Levy, and Todd Selby, ever-suave illustrations by Jean-Philippe Delhomme, as well as never-before-seen images from the Hennessy archive, HENNESSY is an informative and engaging account of the world’s most revered brandy and a book that belongs on every Cognac enthusiast’s shelf.


Long Island Iced Tea Named Exclusive Iced Tea of New Coliseum

6Long Island Iced Tea Corp. has formed an alliance with Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment to become the official iced tea of Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum Presented By New York Community Bank (NYCB).

The New Coliseum Presented By NYCB hosts hundreds of events annually, including concerts, family shows, and sports, such as college basketball, hockey, MMA, and boxing, as well as outdoor festivals and other major events.

Long Island Iced Tea will have exclusive serving rights in the venue, including all concession stands and luxury suites. The alliance also includes high-profile interior and exterior LED branding, as well as digital and retail promotional opportunities.

 


The Coca-Cola Foundation and The Coca-Cola Company Donate $106M

8The Coca-Cola Foundation and The Coca-Cola Company together donated more than $106 million to more than 230 organizations in 2016. These contributions will directly benefit communities across more than 200 countries and territories, with approximately 97 percent of the grants focused on The Coca-Cola Company’s core sustainability priorities of women, water and community well-being.

The amount donated in 2016 equates to 1.2 percent of the company’s 2016 operating income, surpassing its public commitment to donate at least 1 percent of operating income annually. Since 1984, The Coca-Cola Foundation has given back approximately $909 million to organizations and communities across the world.

The Coca-Cola Foundation awarded and paid $72 million in the following areas: $7 million to support women’s empowerment initiatives; $27 million to support water and environmental initiatives; and $38 million to support community strengthening initiatives including education, youth development, HIV/AIDS, arts and culture, and humanitarian/disaster relief. Additionally, The Coca-Cola Company donated $34 million in funding and in-kind product donations to community events and programs around the world.


Blue Chair Bay Rum Offers Consumers The “Key To The Keys”

9Blue Chair Bay Rum is offering the antidote to any wintertime blues with its “Key to the Keys Sweepstakes,” a nationwide sweepstakes that will launch in conjunction with the brand’s newest premium flavor, Key Lime Rum Cream. Sweepstakes entrants will have the chance to win one of several prizes, with the Grand Prize winners scoring a trip to be at a private show with country music star Kenny Chesney in Key West, Fla.

To enter the Key to the Keys Sweepstakes, consumers must either find a “key” symbol under the tamper tape of 500 select Key Lime Rum Cream bottles or download an image with further instructions on Blue Chair Rum’s website. The grand prize winner and a guest will receive airfare to Key West, Fla. and lodging in Key West, with a $500 stipend for activities. They will be invited to a private show by Kenny Chesney. Second prize winners will receive a Blue Chair Bay Key Lime Rum Cream-themed guitar with Kenny Chesney’s autograph. Ten third prize winners will receive a Blue Chair Bay swag pack.

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