30 Nov 2009
By Paul Mitchell
Disaronno Amaretto is a really good drink. Let us immediately get that issue out of the way. The Italian almond-flavoured liqueur is a mainstay of most bars and is an essential component of several great drinks, including the lesser-valued "Alabamma Slammer" that takes people back to university days of binge drinking. For years, Disaronno had been running a compaign entitled "Pass the Pleasure Around" that featured print and television commercials with obnoxious individuals trying to look cool and seductive while preparing cocktails with the drink. They also advocated drinking it on the rocks. Widely regarded in some circles as one of the most annoying commercial series, the ads have thankfully been replaced with a new campaign called "As You Like It." With a tip of the hat to William Shakespeare, the new advertisements (and campaign website) are closer to the mark, focusing on the practical flavours of amaretto and uses in classical mixology. Are the ads any less annoying however? Critics are divided. Read more....
Disaronno's "As You Like It" campaign features two types of television advertisements. The first is a Hollywood-style of "style-over-substance" shoots that have twins playing sensually with bartenders on a Vegas rooftop bar. Slickly produced, but reminiscent of the hijinks that made the movie "Cocktail" so sickenly sweet, the "Twins" pieces are less effective and do not differentiate Disaronno from any other premium liquor's campaigns. The spots attempt to appeal to women in some respects with two stereotypical "good looking guy" archtypes: the Latin dark and handsome guy; and the Californian beach bum blonde surfer dude. No one really wants to see pretend bartenders playacting and posing for the camera.
The other ad campaign is truer to the brand. A model named Joshua Sarrazola, who has since become somewhat of an internet debutante, explains the flavour profile of amaretto and what sort of simple cocktails can be created with it. Designed to be informative, they are shot simply at a bar counter. Recipes are explained and detailed with close-up visuals of ingredients pouring and splashing into the glass over ice. The ads are well done and really entice the viewer on a number of levels. Home bartenders are always looking for a good new drink to try. Unfortunately, the spots miss the mark with the sheer simplicity of the cocktail recipes.
I doubt they are meaning to be insulting, but most people should be able to figure out what is in a "Disaronno and coke". The other 'recipes' are Disaronno and cranberry, with lemon, and one mixed with ginger ale. Definitely not rocket science. Mind you, the ads might not be as evocative if the mixology was so complicated that people could not remember them. Being simple and informative is always key to a good commericals. The "Head On" commercials must have ruined our short-term memories and condoned us to mindless repetition.
People should definitely enjoy Disaronno and try mixing it with other juices. Personally, dropping a shot of amaretto into a 6 oz. glass of lager is a really fun drink that tastes exactly like Dr. Pepper. In most cases, by combining different flavours, people will discover new combinations that are fun and exciting. I do not think that the general television audience necessarily needs to be taught how to mix liqueurs with coke though.
From a different perspective, click on this link to read why the Disaronno campaign fails from a technological web-browsing perspective. It is pretty interesting to read.
Visit: http://jeremiafroyland.com/marketing/disaronnos-domain-name-not-as-i-like-it/
Disaronno Amaretto is a really good drink. Let us immediately get that issue out of the way. The Italian almond-flavoured liqueur is a mainstay of most bars and is an essential component of several great drinks, including the lesser-valued "Alabamma Slammer" that takes people back to university days of binge drinking. For years, Disaronno had been running a compaign entitled "Pass the Pleasure Around" that featured print and television commercials with obnoxious individuals trying to look cool and seductive while preparing cocktails with the drink. They also advocated drinking it on the rocks. Widely regarded in some circles as one of the most annoying commercial series, the ads have thankfully been replaced with a new campaign called "As You Like It." With a tip of the hat to William Shakespeare, the new advertisements (and campaign website) are closer to the mark, focusing on the practical flavours of amaretto and uses in classical mixology. Are the ads any less annoying however? Critics are divided. Read more....
Disaronno's "As You Like It" campaign features two types of television advertisements. The first is a Hollywood-style of "style-over-substance" shoots that have twins playing sensually with bartenders on a Vegas rooftop bar. Slickly produced, but reminiscent of the hijinks that made the movie "Cocktail" so sickenly sweet, the "Twins" pieces are less effective and do not differentiate Disaronno from any other premium liquor's campaigns. The spots attempt to appeal to women in some respects with two stereotypical "good looking guy" archtypes: the Latin dark and handsome guy; and the Californian beach bum blonde surfer dude. No one really wants to see pretend bartenders playacting and posing for the camera.
The other ad campaign is truer to the brand. A model named Joshua Sarrazola, who has since become somewhat of an internet debutante, explains the flavour profile of amaretto and what sort of simple cocktails can be created with it. Designed to be informative, they are shot simply at a bar counter. Recipes are explained and detailed with close-up visuals of ingredients pouring and splashing into the glass over ice. The ads are well done and really entice the viewer on a number of levels. Home bartenders are always looking for a good new drink to try. Unfortunately, the spots miss the mark with the sheer simplicity of the cocktail recipes.
I doubt they are meaning to be insulting, but most people should be able to figure out what is in a "Disaronno and coke". The other 'recipes' are Disaronno and cranberry, with lemon, and one mixed with ginger ale. Definitely not rocket science. Mind you, the ads might not be as evocative if the mixology was so complicated that people could not remember them. Being simple and informative is always key to a good commericals. The "Head On" commercials must have ruined our short-term memories and condoned us to mindless repetition.
People should definitely enjoy Disaronno and try mixing it with other juices. Personally, dropping a shot of amaretto into a 6 oz. glass of lager is a really fun drink that tastes exactly like Dr. Pepper. In most cases, by combining different flavours, people will discover new combinations that are fun and exciting. I do not think that the general television audience necessarily needs to be taught how to mix liqueurs with coke though.
From a different perspective, click on this link to read why the Disaronno campaign fails from a technological web-browsing perspective. It is pretty interesting to read.
Visit: http://jeremiafroyland.com/marketing/disaronnos-domain-name-not-as-i-like-it/
