For many licensed brands alcohol very clearly sits on the ‘no’ list. And this is not surprising given how many brands sit in the kids space or look to appeal to the wider family audience.
However for adult-targeted brands, alcohol collaborations can make a lot of sense, especially if it feels authentic to the IP. The recent collaboration between Banijay and Barrel Global for Peaky Blinders is a great example as are alcohol partnerships with Game of Thrones, Star Trek and The Godfather, all IP where alcohol features in the content itself.
The alcohol market is a crowded space, dominated by large players such as Diageo and smaller brands focused squarely on quality and the high end market.
What licensing always does is allow smaller players to punch above their weight by tapping into specific fandoms. Game of Thrones and its spin-off shows have delivered huge audiences, Star Trek is a 60 year old IP with a dedicated fanbase and The Godfather is considered one of the best films of all time. By working with these brands alcohol manufacturers are gaining access to built in and engaged audiences and more likely to be able to unlock retail listings.
Many celebrities have also gotten into the alcohol space. Although not all of them put their names to the product itself, so as to keep some distance between their name and the product itself, such as Kendall Jenner and 818 Tequila, George Clooney and Casamigos and Wild Turkey Longbranch Whiskey with Matthew McConaughey. Others such as Kylie Minogue and Graham Norton though are more than happy to have their names front and center on the bottle.
Alcohol consumption behaviour may be changing, particularly with younger generations but when it comes to licensed alcohol, its not always being purchased to be consumed. As with many licensed FMCG partnerships it's the packaging and collectability that is the real sell. Fans want to collect and display the bottles probably more than they are interested in how they taste. If they taste great and are reasonably priced then they may become a regular purchase but that is not the main incentive for buying them in the first place.
This leaves a lot of scope for the right brands to find great partners in the alcohol space. For brands like South Park, Ru Paul’s Drag Race, Bridgerton and The Traitors, alcoholic partnerships offer fun and lucrative opportunities to engage their fanbases in authentic and new ways.