A cheery celebration

Cheerwine, the family owned and operated North Carolina soft drink brand, is celebrating its 100th birthday this year. In honor of the milestone, the company is releasing a series of seven commemorative, collectible cans featuring designs from various eras. Each can also will include one of 50 “Moments of Cheer” from the company’s history, along with a chance to win $100 through instant-win cans hidden in 12-packs within the soft drink’s distribution area. The company also is inviting fans to attend a free birthday celebration May 20 in Salisbury, N.C., featuring live bands, free Cheerwine, barbeque and other surprises. “A lot of things can change over the course of a century, but Cheerwine’s still the same: independent, family owned and true to our Carolina roots,” said Joy Harper, head of marketing, in a statement. “Cheerwine’s centennial is a celebration of the generations of fans who’ve adopted the brand as their own.”

A Super Bowl win for beer

Quri, an in-store merchandising intelligence firm, released the results of the in-store merchandising performance of beer during the Super Bowl. The data highlights the number of displays, percentage of stores with a display and on-shelf availability of 11 beer brands across 800 Walmart and Kroger stores for the 14 days ending Feb. 6. The brands in the beer category were Bud Light, Shock Top, Michelob Ultra, Samuel Adams, Modelo, Guinness, Fat Tire, Corona, Blue Moon, Sierra Nevada and Miller Lite. Quri data indicates that beer averaged four displays, with Bud Light capturing the top spot with an average of 1.4 displays, while Miller Light averaged one. The Top 3 brands with a display were Miller Lite (76 percent), Blue Moon (18 percent) and Sierra Nevada (5 percent). For on-shelf availability by brand, Guinness was No. 1 at 97 percent, followed by Blue Moon (94 percent) and Sierra Nevada (90 percent).

All aboard!

The Lagunitas Beer Plane is coming out of the hanger for another flight to the Lagunitas Brewery in Petaluma, Calif. The company gave consumers the chance to win a seat on the plane for a four-day, three-night trip during Memorial Day weekend, May 27-30. Through Feb. 28, consumers were invited to go to Lagunitas.com/beerplane and complete a registration form. Twelve grand-prize winners won a “BeerPlane Experience Memorial Weekend” with a guest, which includes round-trip airfare to California, hotel accommodations, VIP entrance to a special music showcase at the Lagunitas TapRoom and Amphitheater, a tour of the brewery and coast where it all began, and one beer dinner and meals during the trip.

Finding a new jingle

For generations, the Folgers jingle has been a familiar tune in the homes of Americans. This year, Grammy-nominated, country music singer-songwriter Chris Young partnered with the brand to inspire musicians to put their own spin on the iconic jingle and enter their version into the Folgers Jingle Contest, the company says. Through Feb. 27, individuals were able to submit a video of their unique musical performance using the jingle on Folgers.com. Finalists received a mentoring session with Young, and one grand-prize winner received $25,000. “The Folgers jingle is an iconic tune that has lived in my memory since childhood,” Young said in a statement. “I’m excited to be a part of this year’s Folgers Jingle Contest, which gives up-and-coming musicians an opportunity to showcase their musical talent, and look forward to mentoring the finalists on their Folgers Jingle submissions.”

Making music

Jameson Irish Whiskey, whose motto “Sine Metu” translates to “Without Fear,” is applying this same bold spirit to support musicians across the country with the formation of Jameson Music, the company says. The effort will offer musicians a national stage to be seen and heard through live performances, music distribution, financial support and access to established musicians, it says. The first three artists were hand-selected by legendary musician and Grammy Award-winner Gary Clark Jr. Those artist are Los Angeles-based HONEYHONEY, Austin, Texas-based Eve and the Exiles and New York City-based The London Souls. Jameson Music also is partnering with Refuge Foundation for the Arts, a nonprofit organization providing sanctuary for the pursuit of creative expression and community engagement, and The Best Fest, a marketing, promotion and production company dedicated to celebrating the legends of rock and roll through all-star live performances, it says. Following the individual live performances, Jameson Music will support each musician’s original songs as they continue on their journey in the music industry.

A new image

Canada Dry unveiled its new Relax Harder campaign encouraging consumers to relax as hard as they work and play with the help of Canada Dry Ginger Ale. The new “Work Hard. Play Hard. Relax Harder.” tag line is intended to reflect Canada Dry’s position as a trusted brand with consistent taste and refreshing qualities, allowing consumers to achieve the ultimate relaxation, the company says. Backed by robust digital, social and TV advertising, the campaign shines light on hectic schedules and chaotic workloads, suggesting that consumers can compensate for working and playing hard by choosing Canada Dry to enhance relaxation moments, it adds.

All-star partnership

Jack Daniel’s and the NBA announced a new multi-year partnership making Jack Daniel’s an official marketing partner of the NBA, the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), the NBA Development League (D-League) and USA Basketball. Jack Daniel’s also will serve as a partner of the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game. “The NBA is a perfect fit for Jack Daniel’s as we both share the same values of integrity, loyalty and community. We couldn’t be more excited for our fans and consumers who love the great sport of basketball,” said John Higgins, vice president and Jack Daniel’s brand director for North America, in a statement. Jack Daniel’s will host a variety of events, media and hospitality programs throughout the NBA, WNBA, NBA D-League and USA Basketball seasons. The brand also will develop NBA-themed programs at retail stores and create custom marketing and advertising campaigns.