sourz Archives - Stripe Communications

Stripe goes to Holi Festival of Colours

By Alex Crate alexcrate1
21st September 2015
#StripeLife

We’ve enjoyed a colourful 2015 so far with one of our fave Friday drinks, Sourz, what with the launch of Sourz Rainbow Ice at the beginning of the year and the Club MTV tour during the summer. But this weekend we hit the ultimate, as Stripe’s very own resident shot-girls took our PR machine to London for the Holi Festival of Colours, which Sourz was sponsoring.

Myself and Rebecca – shot-girl-in-the-making and newbie to Stripe – headed over the border to my homeland to give journos from the likes of ZOO and Bar Mag the Sourz’ Holi Festival of Colours experience, complete with many helpings of Sourz Rainbow Ice and bags of coloured powder. We can even go as far as to say, one journalist received a marriage proposal in the Sourz tent – genuinely. She said yes too – congrats Lucia! This defo wasn’t part of our running order.

We had some great fun in the experiential tent, striking heaps of poses in the gif booth – there was just as much powder paint in the tent by the end of the day as there was in the main stage arena. With a Sourz Rainbow Ice bar, there were plenty of shots on offer to keep people refreshed. The tent was an opportunity to give fans and festival-goers a souvenir to take home – some classic snaps of the great time they had with their best mates.

We were also able to showcase a new piece of video content they’ve just released, ‘Sourz presents: World of Colour’, which sees Sourz visit 8 cities across the world in 10 days – a megahunt for colour captured in a one minute film.

The weekend was the perfect way for us to round off our summer of colour. It was great to be able to see how well two brands can fit and it gave us the opportunity to experience the famous coloured powder explosions of the global Holi Festival of Colours, giving our media friends the opportunity too.

Until next time…

Tickling tastebuds with Sourz

It was a taste sensation ‘on ice’ when we helped launched Sourz’ new Rainbow Ice drink at Ice Bar London.

The tangy mix of raspberry, orange and lime has a cooling sensation that leaves taste buds tingling.

We invited a host of special guests and influencers to try it out and mixed in some pretty unique taste combinations.

Who knew Rainbow Ice would complement bitter lemon? And a dash of Sourz Raspberry with Prosecco went down well.

There were a few surprises for those who joined us on the night as they sampled the icy delights wrapped-up in fleece-lined capes and gloves.

Rainbow Ice is available now – go for the taste test and let us know what you think at sourz@stripecommunications.com.

Stripe wins best Consumer Relations campaign at CIPR PRide Awards

Stripe Communications picked up the Gold Award in the Consumer Relations category for the ‘Sourz…Give it Some…Summer’ campaign at last night’s CIPR PRide Awards (13 October 2011).

Stripe worked closely with Maxxium UK to deliver a consumer campaign targeting 18-24 year olds across the UK and create an emotional connection with the brand. With a fashion and grooming focus and campaign tour across seven UK cities, Stripe engaged with the target audience about getting ready for the weekend with Sourz.

Juliet Simpson, Managing Director said: “This is a fantastic result for the team as the ‘Give it Some…Summer’ campaign reinforced our commitment towards doing things differently, and helped Maxxium drive Sourz awareness and sales in 2010.”

Stripe nominated for three CIPR Scotland PRide Awards

Stripe Communications is delighted to announce that we have been shortlisted for all three CIPR PRide Awards which we entered in year.

Following yet another hugely successful event which saw over 19,000 fans descend on the Nevis Range, the Fort William Mountain Bike World Cup was nominated for Best Campaign £10k and under.

Our work with Maxxium on their ‘Give It Some…Summer’ campaign for their Sourz brand has also been recognised, with confirmation that we are also in the running for the Best Campaign category as well.

Finally, after yet another blockbuster year, Stripe Communications has been shortlisted as Outstanding Consultancy of the Year, which would be a remarkable achievement after winning this accolade in 2009.

The winners will be announced at the annual CIPR PRide Awards being held on the 13th of October in Glasgow.

Sourz launches search for MTV video star

If you’ve always dreamt of starring in a music video, then Sourz could be set to make your dreams come true with its UK-wide search for a star.

To celebrate the launch of new Sourz Raspberry, the leading spirit brand has teamed up with entertainment giants, MTV, and is calling on guys and girls to strike a pose with their mates in a bid to become the first-ever MTV Sourz Superstarz.

If you are aged 18 or over and think you know how to have fun at the weekend, visit sourz.co.uk and upload your photos of great nights out with friends. Budding starlets will be whittled down by a UK-wide public vote to find a winner who really lives for the weekend.

The lucky winner and 3 mates will shoot a unique MTV music video in London, which will hit TV screens throughout the country later this year. As Sourz Superstarz, you will stay in a luxurious hotel and enjoy a shopping and prepping session with a personal shopper before hitting the town after dinner and dancing the night away at celebrity hotspot, Funky Buddha Nightclub.

Music fans will also have a chance to get in on the action this summer as Sourz makes its festival debut at the first ever Norfolk Spectacular on 3 and 4 September. Revellers will have the chance to have their pictures taken in an interactive photo booth, automatically entering them into the MTV Sourz Superstarz competition.

Emma Heath from Sourz says: “We’re thrilled to be giving Sourz drinkers this experience of a lifetime. MTV is one of the most widely watched entertainment channels so it is a perfect way for us to connect and engage with our core target audience of 18-24 year olds across the country.

“Heading down to the Norfolk Spectacular will be a first for Sourz, with exposure to 60,000 potential fans giving them the chance to try out new Sourz Raspberry. Our interactive photo booth promises to inject a sense of fun into the festival experience for groups of mates.”

To celebrate the new raspberry flavour, Sourz has also commissioned the first-ever Sourz Weekend Index which surveyed18-24 year old guys and girls across the UK to find out what really makes a weekend great. Nationwide, the survey showed a boundless passion for planning with an average of almost three hours spent organising their weekends. It also takes an average of 10 texts, two emails and four calls to get the grand plan of action together.

The survey also revealed what people across the country, from Manchester to Birmingham to Glasgow prioritise when planning. Findings included:

· North Westerners stood out as the biggest weekend-planners with 70% spending the most time plotting what antics they’ll get up to up to well before the weekend is in sight.

· Guys and girls north of the border get the biggest kick out of planning their weekends with half of 18-24 year old Scots saying anticipation and preparation is one of the best things about it. Scots girls are also the biggest shoppers with over half splashing out on clothes and accessories before every weekend commences.

· North Easterners top the vanity chart with 46% claiming that grooming and pampering makes their weekend complete.

· West Midlanders are more bothered about destination than striking a pose, with 43% citing it’s where you go that makes a great weekend compared to only 7% who said looking your best was the key priority.

New Sourz Raspberry – the latest addition to the Sourz line up – was launched on June 1st and is available nationwide in pubs, clubs and bars and will be stocked in independent retailers and multiple retail outlets including Tesco, Morrisons and ASDA. At 15% ABV, Sourz is great on its own, but also tastes fantastic in a simple cocktail or with ice and a mixer in a long summery drink.

Sourz expands brand with exciting new addition!

Stripe worked alongside leading spirit brand Sourz to announce the launch of a must-stock new addition to its product portfolio. Sourz Raspberry is the first new permanent variant to be introduced in three years and is set to be a firm favourite with fans this summer and beyond.

Created in response to growing consumer demand for exciting new flavours and taste experiences, Sourz Raspberry also represents a step change for the brand.

In a noticeable departure from the existing portfolio colour palette, the brand new bottling has been given a fresh, creative treatment. Shocking pink is combined with bold black to give an impactful and distinctive look to maximise standout in bar or on shelf.

The launch of Sourz Raspberry also marks the start of a high profile through the line campaign for 2011, which seeks to strengthen the brand’s emotional connection with consumers and reinforce Sourz’ role in getting ready for, and enjoying great nights out with friends.

The seven-figure push will target consumers using a fully integrated approach with national TV advertising at the heart of the campaign. In addition to the brand’s small screen debut, Sourz will also feature in experiential marketing, PR and social media activity, as well as an exciting partnership with a high profile entertainment brand soon to be announced. The campaign will build on the brand’s fashion and grooming credentials, bringing to life the importance of getting ready for the weekend to its consumers.

Available in both on and off trade outlets the new Sourz variant retains the same fresh, energetic, lively and dynamic characteristics associated with the rest of the range. Like all other flavours in the portfolio, Sourz Raspberry can be enjoyed as a straight serve, mixed drink or pitcher.

Emma Heath, Marketing Controller at Maxxium UK says: “The launch of Sourz Raspberry is part of a long term strategic plan for the brand that reinforces our commitment to innovation through new flavours, taste delivery and category leading communication plans.

“We’ve seen with our recent Limited Editions that our customers have demonstrated an appetite for new flavours, so we’re excited to be providing yet another opportunity for them to explore and enjoy new taste experiences. Introducing another permanent variant is a natural move to develop the Sourz brand further still.

“We’re thrilled about the continued growth of the brand. As the UK’s number one liqueur brand in the on trade and number 3 in the offs, retaining our existing customers and recruiting new ones through ongoing innovation and investment is key *. By continuing to excite consumers and give them more choice, we aim to fuel further growth and strengthen our position in the category.”

From June 1st 2011, Sourz Raspberry flavour will be available in pubs, clubs and bars and will be stocked nationwide in independent retailers and multiple retail outlets including Tesco and Asda. It will be supported by nationwide sampling events, an extensive trade advertising campaign and premium of point of sale materials

Leveraging the power of a 350,000 strong online community on Facebook, Sourz will also be engaging directly with its fan base to offer Sourz ‘super-fans’ the exclusive opportunity to sample the product before it goes on sale.

Stripe Secures National Sourz Campaign

Stripe Communications has been appointed by Maxxium UK to deliver a national brand-building PR campaign for Sourz this summer.

Under the ‘Give it some…’ campaign banner, Stripe and its sister agencies Tangible and Blonde will deliver a fully integrated project involving consumer and trade PR, experiential marketing, national media partnerships and online digital activity. Specifically designed to broaden the appeal of Sourz, the campaign aims to build awareness and create an emotional brand connection with 18 – 24 year olds. Utilising the consumer insight that “getting ready for a night out is as important as the night itself” the campaign establishes the relationship between the Sourz brand and personal grooming – brought to life through fashion and beauty.

To build credibility in the style arena, the campaign launches with a ‘Give it some…style’ fashion & beauty summer tour across seven cities (Newcastle, Glasgow, Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Manchester and London). This is supported by local on-trade events, a dedicated summer-long editorial partnership with more! magazine, a dedicated fashion editorial led by celebrity stylist Lindsay Campbell, local media relations and promotions, and a bespoke facebook campaign to over nearly 300,000 fans & users.

Juliet Simpson, Stripe Managing Director says: “This is an incredibly exciting project for a growing UK brand, that isn’t afraid to do things differently. With the entire integrated agency team working with one creative theme, we’ve been able to exploit every PR opportunity, whilst keeping the Sourz brand personality at the heart of everything we do.”

Gregor Mina, Senior Brand Manager on the Sourz brand at Maxxium UK, said; “We’re really enjoying working with the team at Stripe who have demonstrated a thorough understanding of the Sourz brand and target audience, and have created a compelling and relevant creative integrated PR platform.”

Launched in 1999, Sourz has grown to become a priority brand within the Maxxium UK and Beam Global portfolios and is an ‘accelerate’ brand in the UK for 2010. The ‘Give it Some….’ Initiative signals an ongoing seven-figure investment in the Sourz brand as part of an exciting future strategy for the brand to fuel brand growth.

Blog : sourz