Kevin Hart’s Gran Coramino tequila brand sponsors the Philadelphia Eagles
When the Philadelphia Eagles begin their home opener Thursday night, the NFL team will also ink a new sponsorship deal with Gran Coramino, the luxury tequila brand co-founded by comedian, entrepreneur and Philadelphia native Kevin Hart.
“It’s a big deal! “Working with the Eagles and being connected to Philadelphia in some way is a good and great feeling!” Hart told CNBC’s Frank Holland in an exclusive interview about the agreement.
The deal with the franchise This includes signage at the team’s Lincoln Financial Field, branded bars at the stadium and marketing on the Eagles’ digital platforms.
The Eagles hope to capitalize on the recent success of famous liquor brands and a surge in tequila sales as many U.S. drinkers abandon beer in favor of spirits. Gran Coramino is the latest luxury spirits brand to try to gain market share through a league or team partnership as the connection between beer and sports begins to fade.
“I think that revenue will grow simply because of the awareness and that the awareness will spread from inside the stadium to outside the stadium,” Hart said. “The hope is that people will fall in love with the product and buy it to have at home.”
Kevin Hart with a bottle of his Gran Coramino tequila.
Source: Global Brands Equities
Brian Napoli, the Eagles’ senior vice president of corporate partnerships, said the opening of the branded bar “will provide added value and another level of premium experience for Eagles fans and guests in attendance.”
For Hart, a lifelong Eagles fan, the deal is particularly sweet. Before the Eagles’ Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in February, Hart posted an Instagram video in which he claimed to have paid $16 million for a real Eagle, named after the team’s quarterback, Jalen Hurts. had named.
Hart told CNBC: “It’s a huge victory! I accompanied the team through ups and downs.”
Spirits and sports
Beer is the alcoholic beverage most associated with exercise. Advertising linking beer and baseball began as early as 1909, when Budweiser used the headline “BALLPLAYERS USE BEER IN TRAINING,” quoting the president of the then-Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers: according to Sports Illustrated.
In recent years, liquor brands have made a foray into sports sponsorships with major American leagues. The effort came as spirits overtook beer in market share for the first time in 2022.
Jaegermeister became the official shot of the National Hockey League in 2019 and the two extended the contract in 2022. Distill Brands signed a contract as the official vodka of Major League Baseball in 2022.
Hennessey, a brand of the luxury giant LVMH became the first “global spirits partner”.” of the NBA in 2021. Global spirits giant Diageo has also agreed to this the NFL’s first liquor sponsor in 2021. It now sponsors 20 NFL teams.
The companies said the deals helped them reach new consumers and strengthen their brands.
“Through our relationship with the NFL, we have seen a positive and measurable improvement in the perception of our brands in the eyes of consumers,” Rick Pineda, head of sports marketing at Diageo, told CNBC. “Our league and team partners have worked very closely together to find innovative ways for our iconic brands to reach their passionate and engaged fan base.”
Jean Baptiste Descours, NBA program director for Hennessy, also told CNBC that the sponsorship is “about exposure and visibility.” He added that the cognac brand increases its marketing efforts when fan engagement is higher.
“As the season comes to an end, Christmas games, All-Star, we focus on those types of events and even more so on the playoff season because the fans tune in,” he said.
Spirit of success
Spirits are often marketed with a focus on history, country of origin or distillation process.
Like all tequilas, Gran Coramino is made from agave plants from the tequila region of Mexico. Hart co-founded the brand with Juan Domingo Beckmann, CEO of Becle, the parent company of Jose Cuervo Tequila, and James Morrissey, CEO of Global Brand Equities.
Hart, however, wants to differentiate Gran Coramino from those companies’ brands by partnering with the Eagles, a Super Bowl contender known for its hard-nosed play.
The deal also gives the brand direct exposure to a more upscale consumer with ample disposable income. According to Ticket Smarter, the average NFL ticket will cost $377 in 2023, a 60% increase from the previous season. His CEO said USA Today “Demand has never been greater.”
“Look at the fan base. If you are able to do anything you can achieve.” For this consumer, that’s just a pro. There are no downsides!” said Hart.
He added: “If we can be the spirit of choice for the Eagles, that’s a big deal. The takeaway is that this is an inclusive drink that is suitable for all settings. Family, friends, corporate luxury, whatever, we feel like our product fits into it all.
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/14/kevin-hart-tequila-brand-gran-coramino-sponsors-philadelphia-eagles.html Kevin Hart’s Gran Coramino tequila brand sponsors the Philadelphia Eagles
