THE NHL AND JÄGERMEISTER COMBINE FOR SPIRITED CROSSBRANDING

BY EVAN MONROE

As with tequila, along with certain categories of fortified wine and rack vodka, early experiences with Jägermeister are often colored by misdeeds, regrets, and a vow of subsequent avoidance. And that’s a shame, because this number one selling imported liqueur in the United States is actually a wonderful and quite subtle mix of 56 herbs, roots, fruits, and spices, including licorice, citrus peel, anise, poppy seeds, saffron, ginger, juniper berries, and ginseng. Curt Mast, the original distiller of Jägermeister (and son of the company founder, Wilhelm), was an avid outdoorsman and the name of his brainchild literally translates to “master hunter” (the label’s prominent cross and stag is in reference to the patron saints of hunters, Hubertus and Eustace, who converted to Catholicism after experiencing a vision of a Christian cross between the antlers of a stag.)

In a novel partnership for the more than 80-year-old brand, Jägermeister has teamed with the 31-team National Hockey League. e cross promotion will include integrated programs in retail, in-venue, and on-premise channels, as well as consumer activations at the NHL Winter Classic (one of three series of regular season outdoor games), the league’s All-Star Weekend, and other professional hockey events. As the “official shot of the NHL,” it will also sponsor a variety of media and hospitality programs throughout the 2018-19 season, and will return as the presenting sponsor of the Stanley Cup Playoffs Bracket Challenge the NHL.com initiative that enables fans to predict every series of the playoffs through the Stanley Cup Final.

“At Jägermeister, we strive to engage with our fans in unique ways by offering one of a kind experiences, especially in the sports world,” said Chris Peddy, Mast-Jägermeister’s chief marketing officer in the United States.