Ron Abuelo, Panama’s No.1 rum, has announced the global launch of its adventurous range of rums, The Finish Collection, with an evocative campaign called ‘A New Adventure in Rum’ created by the Abuelo’s global agency Purple Creative. The Finish Collection was successfully tested in France and the USA for a year prior to its  global launch.

The Finish Collection

The Finish Collection is a range of three exceptional 15-year-old Panamanian rums that have been finished in European sherry, cognac and port casks, that impart extra flavours that showcase the provenance and personality of each iconic country.

  • Napoleon – finished in Troncais cognac casks for a deep explosion of ripe autumn fruit flavours and an unparalleled French elegance
  • Oloroso – finished in Spanish sherry casks for a beautifully balanced fruit sweetness with sumptuous citrus notes
  • Tawny – finished in Portuguese port casks for bold layers of sweet red fruits and opulent summer berries

Luis Varela, third generation owner and President of Ron Abuelo said; “These are rums with a Panamanian heart and a pioneering soul. Our Finish Collection features our most treasured reserves, which have been carefully aged for at least 15 years in American oak barrels, then finished in sherry, cognac and port casks. We took our inspiration from some of our favourite spirits and places in the world, to create expressions for both serious rum enthusiasts and new fans alike. The stunning campaign that Purple Creative has delivered perfectly expresses the beauty of the places, the great drinks they produce and the adventurous extra

flavours they impart.”

 

The creative idea behind the ‘A New Adventure in Rum’

Andy Harding, Founding Partner of Purple Creative explains; “Ron Abuelo is a company deeply rooted in tradition, but which also constantly looks to the future of rum-making – a philosophy reflected in The Finish Collection. Our ‘New Adventure in Rum’ campaign showcases the meeting of minds between Panama and France, Spain and Portugal.

We commissioned a hugely talented artist called Sarah Maycock to bring our ideas to life, using evocative watercolours that capture the craft, romance, vibrant colours, unique personality and the adventure inspired by each European inspiration. This was delivered as a full integrated campaign including a variety of animated digital out-of-home ads and social video, imagery and release strategy.”

 

Founding Partner: Andy Harding

Creative Director: Gwyn Edwards

Designers: Lyndsey Ellis

Copywriter: Amey Turner

Head of Digital: Phil Joyce

Artworker: Marc Crane  

Project Manager: Becca Mitchell  

Artist: Sarah Maycock

Photographer: Ted Humble-Smith  

 

Background to ‘Inspiring Generations Since 1908’

The campaign ‘A New Adventure in Rum’ is borne out of Ron Abuelo’s new brand activation platform ‘Inspiring Generations Since 1908’.

In 1908, at the dawn of the new Panama, José Varela Blanco moved countries but also moved minds. He established the country’s first sugar mill and gave his sons the freedom to begin creating the world’s finest aged rums. From the start, Abuelo was a different kind of family company. He bought local communities together, respected the land and looked after his workers. He inspired the people around him and the three generations of the Valera family that have come after him.

Today that family respects tradition, the passing on of knowledge and have a wish to leave the world a better place, whilst constantly pushing boundaries and striving for excellence in every aspect of their work. This is reflected in the fact that Abuelo is already the best-selling rum in Panama and is becoming ever more popular on the global market.

Purple Creative spent more than a year researching and learning about Panama and the history of Abuelo’s rums, including time with the family, watching the production process first hand at the distillery and a workshop in London with the Abuelo brand team. Armed with a huge amount of knowledge and appreciation for the brand, the agency then created the brand activation platform, which now informs every piece of marketing material created moving forward. The first work to be created via the new platform was in September – a campaign called ‘Character is timeless’ for Ron Abuelo 12 Años, an extraordinarily complex sipping rum.

For press enquiries please contact Sam Espensen, same@purplecreative.co.uk, 07957 361 717.

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