USA. Having struck a groundbreaking partnership with the San Francisco 49ers football team earlier this season, American whiskey brand Gold Bar is building awareness in its home city with a major campaign through duty free retailer DFS at San Francisco International Airport. The campaign comes as the 49ers prepare to compete on Sunday for a place in the season-ending Super Bowl (see below).
Active in travel retail since 2016, San Francisco-based Gold Bar has ambitious growth plans in the US and overseas, with travel retail a key platform. It is represented by Chase International in the US and by Duty Free Global in international markets.
In September, Gold bar Whiskey struck an agreement to become the official whiskey of the San Francisco 49ers. The five-year agreement began with the 2019/20 season. The ultra-premium Gold Bar Whiskey collection is available in multiple locations, including at the recently opened Gold Bar Whiskey Bar on the main concourse at Levi’s Stadium.
Gold Bar Whiskey President Elliott Gillespie said that the agreement was among the first-of-its-kind for an NFL team and spirits brand. As well as activations at the stadium, the brand will also be launching a commemorative line of expressions to celebrate the team’s 75th anniversary in the coming year. It is being promoted at other events in the region and across a variety of marketing channels, including duty free.
To showcase the brand, Gold Bar recently partnered with DFS to build out an eye-catching display in the International Terminal at San Francisco Airport.
The sales of Gold Bar doubled after it built its window installation and it became the number one spirits SKU in the store in terms of unit sales. Gillespie said: “That is no easy feat considering it’s a local brand going up against global heavyweights in the spirits world.”
DFS has been growing its assortment of local craft spirits as a strategy to engage the customer with a curated offer that is not easily available elsewhere.
In a huge boost to both team and brand, as noted above, the 49ers remain in contention for the Super Bowl, the grand prize in American football. On Sunday, the team will play the Green Bay Packers in San Francisco, in the NFC Conference Championship. The winner will go through to the season-ending finale.
Beyond San Francisco, the brand’s duty free presence continues to grow. In North America it also has a presence with DFS, Duty Free Americas and International Shoppes at airport locations that include New York JFK, Los Angeles, Miami, Washington Dulles, Atlanta, Boston, Oakland and others, alongside a strong cruise presence. Listings in international markets include those with Lotte Duty Free, Dubai Duty Free, with around a dozen major airports to be added in the next quarter, said Gillespie.
