Brown-Forman Aims to Raise Rum's Pedigree

CHICAGO Northlich looks to push rum into the premium spirit category with a new campaign for Brown-Forman’s Appleton Estate Jamaican rum.

Print ads, breaking in October magazines, are headlined, “Raise your rum.” The ads show a photograph of a hand lifting a glass of rum over background settings such as a smoky jazz emporium, a sophisticated backyard party and an upscale club. Copy reads, “Sip or mix. But always raise.”

“Our research shows that most consumers think of rum as a ‘casual party drink’ rather than a premium spirit,” said Erin Schlader, vice president and marketing director for developing brands at the Louisville, Ky.,