St. John’s, Newfoundland, June 3, 2004 -- Famous Newfoundland Screech Rum, a constant in Newfoundland’s culture, announces today the unveiling of new packaging for the brand since it was first bottled and sold over 200 years ago. Known for its high quality and smooth taste, the award-winning Screech Rum is getting a makeover. Drinkers take note - the beloved recipe for Screech isn’t being altered, only its outside appearance will be reflected by the change.
“Change is a necessary part of a brand’s evolution, and we are enthusiastic about beginning a new chapter in Screech’s brand history,” says Gerry Glavine, CEO and President of Newfoundland Liquor Corporation (NLC). “Screech Rum has a long-standing heritage and dedicated following in Newfoundland, as well as the rest of Canada. We are confident that this new image will help carry Screech to the next phase of growth. As the brand continues to develop, plans include taking the product into the United States to further expand its following.”
Screech Rum’s new look was developed over many months of careful consideration and consumer testing of a wide range of options for both label and bottle design. “While we knew Screech needed to upgrade its image, we wanted to preserve the rich history and beloved name of the brand,” says Sharon Jeans, Marketing Director at the Newfoundland Liquor Corporation, “The end result is a new package that reflects Screech’s sea-faring heritage while giving it the updated image it needs to compete in the ever-competitive rum category.”
Strong marketing and promotional efforts are being put forth in support of the new packaging, with an advertising campaign featuring a 19th century image of Newfoundland sailors asking, “Would they have sailed 5,000 miles for bad rum?” The answer, of course, “Not bloody likely.” Point-of-sale materials at retail and on-premise will also support the new look with the debut of the tongue-in-cheek “Newfoundland Surf Association” on shelf cards, hanger cards, neck danglers, table tents, coasters, hats and t-shirts. The new packaging will be hitting the shelves in Newfoundland in mid-February with a rollout across Canada over the next few months.
Those Newfoundland sailors knew what a good thing they had when they sailed the 5,000+ miles between Newfoundland and Jamaica to bring back this singularly delicious rum. And in 2003, Newfoundland Screech was awarded highest honors with a gold medal at the 14th Annual International Rum Festival in which over 165 rums were displayed, judged and sampled. This win solidifies to the world what Newfoundlanders have known for years - Screech Rum is a world class, exceptionally smooth rum and truly The Taste of Legends.
NLC’s bottling plant is in production year round. The plant features two production lines (a main production line and a miniature line) and has 15 blending tanks.
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