18 Feb ‘Special’ twist to Dream Weekend
Gary Dixon (centre), marketing director at J Wray & Nephew, signs the two-year deal while Scott Dunn, managing director of Dream Weekend, looks on at a media launch held at J Wray and Nephew’s head office on Dominica Drive in New Kingston, on Monday evening. At left is the evening’s host Tamika West, J Wray and Nephew’s marketing manager — dark spirits.
AFTER a five-year affair, iconic Jamaica rum Appleton Special is replacing Smirnoff as title sponsor of the annual getaway Dream Weekend, scheduled for Negril on August 5 to 9.
The announcement of the two-year deal was made public at a media launch held at J Wray and Nephew’s head office on Dominica Drive in New Kingston, on Monday evening.
“This is an important partnership. Dream Appleton Special is an iconic Jamaican brand. What we see here is a marriage made in heaven. It’s about taking Brand Jamaica to the world,” Scott Dunn, managing director of Dream Weekend told the Jamaica Observer.
Dunn said that for ‘Dream’s’ sixth staging, there’ll be 10 events over five days which will include a live concert, a soca party, ’90s jam and a hardcore sound clash.
“We expect more than 20,000 patrons from all around the world… New York, Toronto, London, South Florida,” he said. Gary Dixon, marketing director at J Wray & Nephew, was estactic about the new partnership.
“We’ve always been in Negril and we’ve always supported entertainment. Entertainment is a growing industry and is one of the things that is pulling tourists to Jamaica and continues to put us as a people on the map.
Having Dream Weekend with 25,000 to 30,000 people around, and 50 per cent of them are overseas, they’re gonna take back a rum, which is a piece of Jamaica,” he said. Dixon declined to state how much J Wray and Nephew invested but opted to say that it was “significant”.
Wray and Nephew’s offerings include Appleton Overproof rum; premium vodka with Skyy, Belvedere, cognac with Hennessy. Also included under the company’s portfolio are Magnum and Sangster’s Jamaica Rum Cream.
“Negril has always been our playground. Our consumers have been asking us and we’ve answered the call. Dream Weekend is a powerful brand, so now we have the biggest party, and the best rum,” Dixon added.
Source: The Jamaica Observer
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