Rums of Puerto Rico in NY
February 17, 2010, 6:47 pm
New Rum Campaign Has a Sophisticated Tone
By STUART ELLIOTT
The raucous, party-hardy image of rum is not for the rum distillers of Puerto Rico. They are taking another tack in a campaign that is now under way.
The campaign, which carries the theme “A reflection of who you are,” has a tone that is intended to be more sophisticated and upscale. The ads are aimed at younger urban professionals who look forward to other parts of the day besides happy hour.
Not that there’s anything wrong with having fun, according to the executives behind the campaign, which includes television, print and outdoor ads. Rather, they say, an overly celebratory approach is at odds with the product they are selling.
“Making rum is more expensive than making vodka,” said Roberto J. Serrallés, vice president for risk management at Destilería in Mercedita, Puerto Rico, which distills rum brands like Don Q.
“But we are considered a cheaper spirit,” he added, because of the good-times image for rum.
The campaign is on behalf of Rums of Puerto Rico, which in addition to Don Q includes brands like Bacardi, Palo Viejo and Ron Llave. Rums of Puerto Rico, created in 1948, is a division of the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company, a government-owned corporation in the commonwealth.
(It would be as if, say, a corporation owned by Michigan marketed the state’s cherries or a corporation owned by Wisconsin marketed the state’s cheeses.)
The campaign is the first for Rums of Puerto Rico in two years. It is being created by a Puerto Rican agency, Key Integrated Solutions. The budget is estimated at $2 million.
The campaign will also include promotions like a rum bar to be installed at Madison Square Garden and events at Citi Field, home of the New York Mets.
Javier Vázquez-Morales, executive director at Puerto Rico Industrial Development, identified the target audience as “goal-oriented professionals” in markets like Miami, New York and Washington.
The campaign was introduced at an event in Midtown Manhattan on Wednesday that was centered on the sponsorship by Rums of Puerto Rico of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.