Record-breaking lemonade

Calypso Lemonade was officially awarded the Guinness World Record for the Largest Glass of Lemonade ever made after making and serving more than 3,200 gallons of its Original Lemonade. Its World Record attempt was part of the company’s annual National Lemonade Day celebration, which was took place last August in Las Vegas. The company more than doubled the previous World Record by making 3,246 gallons of its Original Lemonade and filling a giant lemonade glass. “We are extremely proud to be awarded a Guinness World Record … and we are thrilled to share this great feat with our consumers who either participated in the event or helped cheer us on from home,” Calypso President Jeff Outlaw said in a statement.

Top whiskeys

The whiskey category is experiencing explosive growth, but what are the top brands consumers are searching for? Caskers, an online curator of spirits in the United States, analyzed data from purchases, page views, inquiries and more than 2 million search queries on caskers.com to provide an in-depth look of 2015’s most sought-after whiskeys . The following are the winners by category: 1792 Ridgemont Reserve, a small-batch Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey; Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve Single Malt Scotch Whisky; Suntory Hibiki, a 12-year-old Japanese harmony whiskey; Green Spot, a single-pot still Irish whiskey; Crown Royal, a Northern Harvest rye whiskey; and Manhattan Moonshine, a Prohibition-style whiskey. Additionally, the Top 5 states searching for whiskey are California,
New York, Ohio, New Jersey and Georgia.

Mardi Gras boldness 

On Feb. 9, Barq’s Root Beer participated in Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans with Mardi Barq’s — the title of original artwork by New Orleans artist Terrance Osborne. “Art is my passion and I enjoy capturing moments like Mardi Gras in action,” Osborne said in a statement. “Barq’s Root Beer was part of my childhood, so the beverage is connected with positive family memories and my community.” On an 8-foot wood panel, the artwork depicts a colorful Mardi Gras celebration seen in communities across the Gulf Coast during the carnival season. Founded in 1898 by Edward C. Barqs in Biloxi, Miss., Barq’s Root Beer is part of the history and culture of the Gulf Coast, the company says. Leading up to Mardi Gras, Osborne visited retail locations throughout the Gulf Coast to sign prints of the original artwork.

A party for everyone

The Bud Light Party is the first campaign to bring to life Bud Light’s new “Raise One to Right Now” tag line, and right now there is nothing more timely than the presidential election. At a time when debates get heated and “unfriending” is at an all-time high, The Bud Light Party is offering something everyone can agree on, the company says. The humor-based campaign is being led by comedic duo Amy Schumer and Seth Rogen. The campaign premiered with a Super Bowl ad and will continue throughout the year with national broadcast and digital spots; it is the culmination of a larger effort to evolve the way Bud Light looks, acts and connects with modern consumers, it adds.

The power of threes

With a three-year extension of PepsiCo’s partnership with 11-time Sprint Cup Series champions Hendrick Motorsports, Mountain Dew announced it is continuing as a primary sponsor of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and welcoming drivers Kasey Kahne and Chase Elliott to its lineup this year. This year marks the first time the brand will field a three-driver lineup. Mountain Dew will be the primary sponsor of Earnhardt’s No. 88 Chevrolet SS team for three races each season through 2018. Alongside him will be Elliott’s No. 24 team, which will feature Mountain Dew as primary sponsor in two races annually; and Kahne’s No. 5 Chevrolet, which will have Mountain Dew as a primary sponsor in one race a year. All three teams also will showcase the brand as an associate-level sponsor.

The next level

Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum announced the next phase of its Sailor Jerry Presents platform with the launch of the Sailor Jerry Record Label and the release of a limited-edition vinyl record featuring the single “All Sewn Up” by Lucero. Sailor Jerry Presents began as a nod to Norman “Sailor Jerry” Collins and how he lived life valuing individual expressionism and creativity by supporting like-minded artists on their national music tours. The Sailor Jerry Record Label is taking this platform to the next level by showcasing music through vinyl releases. The first single will be released this spring.

Jammin’ with java

Starbucks Coffee Co. partnered with music streaming provider Spotify to allow consumers to use the Starbucks App to discover the music playing in Starbucks stores, save Starbucks-curated songs to a playlist and listen to them anywhere they go. Additionally, Starbucks Mobile App users now can view recently played songs, save songs to a personal playlist on Spotify, “Love” songs to influence future Starbucks playlists, share songs on social networks and “Play on Spotify.” The company also began a weekly feature highlighting artists and curated playlists. Starbucks partners also have begun influencing the music played in-store by selecting songs from Starbucks-curated playlists and creating a “Store Favorites” playlist. The new Starbucks music platform is available for both iPhone and Android users within Starbucks Mobile App.

A brand united

For the first time ever, The Coca-Cola Co. announced it is employing a new global marketing strategy to unite multiple brands within the Coca-Cola brand portfolio. The One Brand strategy will unify Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Light/Diet Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero, and Coca-Cola Life under the Coca-Cola brand positioning in one global creative campaign, Taste the Feeling, the company says. “More than ever, we recognize people want their Coca-Cola in different ways, but whichever one they want, they want a Coca-Cola brand with great taste and uplifting refreshment,” Chief Marketing Officer  Marcos de Quinto said in a statement. “Through the One Brand strategy, we will move away from multiple brand campaigns to one single iconic brand campaign that celebrates both the product and the brand.” Taste the Feeling is rolling out globally at various times in 2016 and will be shared  through a number of elements including 10 TV commercials, more than 100 campaign images, new visual identity system, new music anthem and audio signature, and a shareable and customizable interactive digital experience.