Gosling’s Deal Shakes, Stirs Paper
Bermuda’s Gosling Brothers has found itself near the top of a newspaper’s Dubious Achievements list in Massachussetts as a result of an endorsement deal with the Boston Red Sox signed earlier this year making Black Seal the baseball team’s official rum.
Writing a year-end wrap-up in the Massachusetts “Patriot Ledger”, business editor John Chesto said the Bermuda firm’s marketing agreement with the BoSox — which included attaching the name of its flagship Dark ‘n’ Stormy cocktail to a meeting room at Fenway Park – marked one of the quirkier developments on the Massachussetts commerce scene in the last 12 months.
“Worst sign that the commercialisation of Fenway Park has gone too far: I don’t necessarily mind all the corporate logos on the Green Monster (the fabled left field wall at the Red Sox home ground), or the State Street mini-museum on the upper level,” said a bemused Mr. Chesto. “But (owners) John Henry and Larry Lucchino should have drawn a line when the guys from the Gosling’s rum company showed up and asked if they could call a meeting space at Fenway the ‘Dark ’n Stormy Boardroom’ …”
Gosling’s announced it had reached a multifaceted marketing agreement with the Boston Red Sox in April.
“We are extremely proud to be part of Red Sox Nation and look forward to a bright and sunny relationship as more and more fans discover something called the Dark ‘n Stormy,” said Gosling’s President Malcolm Gosling when the deal was unveiled
“It is exciting to call Gosling’s a corporate partner and we welcome them to the Red Sox family,” said Red Sox chief operating officer Sam Kennedy. ”We thank them for their commitment to the Red Sox and our worldwide fan base known as ‘Red Sox Nation,’ many of whom are Bermudians. The presence of Gosling’s products at the ballpark combined with the availability of the ‘Dark ‘n Stormy Boardroom’ will be a real treat for all of our fans.”
Mr. Chesto appears to be a noisy minority of one when it comes to the Gosling’s marketing agreement with the Red Sox.
“I don’t follow sports much, and when I do I generally choose my teams based on their mascot or the outfits of the cheerleaders,” said one Massachussetts on-line commentator when the deal was announced. “But the Red Sox has just nuked the competition by partnering up with a rum.
“… Gosling’s, baby – freakin’ Gosling’s!!! REAL rum, the kind that melts your socks … The rum that I’ve drank more of than all the others put together has just partnered with a baseball team. I do have to look at the Red Sox with a newfound respect, kinda like how Gandalf finally respected Pippin in ‘Return of the King’ when Pippin totally slaughtered an orc that was about to slice Gandalf wide open and unawares. Yeah, that’s pretty much how I feel, I guess.”
