Bacardi Launches New Brand Experience in Puerto Rican Port
The installation includes promotional products and rum bottles that can be personalized.
As Puerto Rico aims to continue reinvigorating its hurricane-impacted tourism industry, Bacardi Limited is chipping in to help with a new Bacardi Rum brand experience at the San Juan Cruise Port in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The interesting installation features promotional products.
The installation has rum and merchandise for sale, as well as mixing demonstrations and a personalized label station.
Visitors to the port can enjoy the experience at the SMT Duty Free Flagship Pier 4 store, which provides historical information on Bacardi rum, mixing demonstrations, and cocktail samples at an in-store rum bar. The port is located about 9 miles from a Bacardi distillery, the world’s largest rum distillery, in Cataño, Puerto Rico, and the Casa Bacardi Visitor Center, which offers information on the Bacardi family and brand, the history of Bacardi rum in Puerto Rico, and its rum production methods.
Back at the port’s brand experience installation, designed by agency Bloommiami, branded merchandise features in the mix. Items include drinkware, T-shirts and headwear, along with the entire range of Bacardi premium rums. Visitors can also personalize labels on bottles of Bacardi Carta Blanca.
Customers can purchase drinkware, hats and T-shirts featuring the Bacardi brand.
Another memento: personalized labels of Bacardi Carta Blanca.
The brand activation comes after a difficult few years for Puerto Rico. In September 2017,
the island was slammed by Hurricane Maria, which killed almost 3,000 people and caused an estimated $90 billion in damage. The tourism industry there is still recovering.
“Puerto Rico holds a special place for Bacardi,” said Geoff Biggs, regional director for the Americas at Bacardi Global Travel Retail, in a statement. “With so much to offer, Puerto Rico is a great cruise destination and we hope guests explore the art of rum making by visiting the Casa Bacardi Visitor Center, support businesses by enjoying Bacardi cocktails at local restaurants and bars, and end their trip with a visit to the port store to pick up mementos of their island experience.”
San Juan Cruise Port saw 1.8 million passengers and 517 cruise ships in 2018, a 21% increase from 2017. The Bacardi installation hopes to help build on that by offering memorable experiences for consumers and high-end promotional products.
“Bacardi has brought a whole new level of shopper engagement to the retail area,” said Vince Laureano, sales manager of SMT Duty Free, in a statement. “[J]ust a few days in, we’re already seeing the positive commercial impact and with many happy shoppers, this is a win-win for us all.”