It’s been more than 1,500 years since Saint Patrick was laid to rest and could no longer use the shamrock to explain to Christians the idea of the Holy Trinity. Thanks to St. Patrick's Day every March 17th, his legacy inspires millions the world over to consume massive amounts of alcohol and shout “Top of the morning to ya!” to anyone who passes. With such a jovial reputation, you can bet that brands, alcoholic or not, take advantage of the built-in marketing ploy—and not just those participating in Pantone's color of the year for 2013.Continue reading...

Pernod Ricard’s recent "Responsib'All Day" action mobilized employees on five continents in its second annual day of service dedicated to education about responsible drinking. Its "mentor and messenger" efforts reached 18,000 employees worldwide in major cities including Sydney, Shanghai, New Delhi, Tokyo, Johannesburg and São Paulo, and UK-based staff from subsidiaries the Absolut Company and Premium Wine Brands.

"We have been promoting responsible drinking for more than 30 years. At Responsib'All Day, all of our employees are mobilised to help make things change. As a company, we are resolutely dedicated to strengthening our engagement with public authorities and NGOs to fight inappropriate drinking habits," stated Pernod Ricard CEO Pierre Pringuet in a press release.

Pernod Ricard USA’s Facebook platform, dubbed Here’s To Tomorrow, “will attempt to spark a social movement through a platform that encourages parents to take an immediate positive approach in discussing drinking with their underage children today in order to effect a better tomorrow.” With only 115 likes on its campaign Facebook page since launching a week ago, however, it's clearly not as easy to spark a social movement as the French alcohol brand purveyor may think.Continue reading...

Bing lets advertisers place ads in brand-name searches.

Borders bankruptcy shakes up book industry.

Captain Morgan searches for "Ultimate Morganette."

Chobani Greek yogurt lets fans tell its story.

eBay tops branded social media engagement leaderboard.

Ferrari 458 Italia chosen as car of the year by The Robb Report.

Google beats Apple and Sony in TNS corporate reputation ranking.Continue reading...

The airport duty-free shop has long been a favored stop for whiskey lovers looking to stock up on high-end hooch tax-free.

Now Dublin Airport is providing even more incentive to do some spirits shopping in between flights with a premium pot still whiskey that will exclusively sold at its Irish Whiskey Collection store in Terminal 2.

Midleton distillery, best known internationally for producing the Jameson brand, released its 19-year-old single-cask Single Pot Still Irish whiskey to the airport shop to mark the terminal’s opening.

The whiskey, at cask strength (53.7% alcohol), was aged in an American bourbon barrel, a small piece of which is included with the whiskey. Only 200 bottles are being produced, retailing for €260 ($354).Continue reading...

While it’s certainly nothing new for alcohol brands to set up their own bars, it is a bit of a twist for a bar to set up its own alcohol brand.

That’s exactly what Kieran Folliard, owner of four Irish pubs in Minneapolis, has done. According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Folliard has long claimed that his bar the Local sells more Jameson than anywhere else in the world. But now he’s having his own whiskey made at Cooley, Ireland's last independent distillery (and the oldest distillery in the world).

Known for its own Kilbeggan label, the distillery (above) will produce and ship Folliard's private whiskey to America, bottling it under the name of 2 Gingers to sell at his bars, and possibly to eventually release to wider distribution.Continue reading...

San Francisco blog Uptown Almanac caught a recent product placement, one which it calls potentially "one of the most significant liquor industry game-changers since the 21st amendment." Except, the product doesn't seem to exist. But should it?Continue reading...

Steve Jobs attends Apple conference and addresses issues facing his health and the brand [NYT]; Apple reveals upgrades, but no new technology [LA Times].

GM sells majority of its interest in Opel and Vauxhall to Canada's Magna International. [London Times]

Warner Bros. restructures DC Comics to take on competition. [LA Times]

Fashion designer Derek Lam takes his style and vision to New York Fashion Week. [WSJ]

Alcohol brands in Britain consider abuse vs. consumption. [London Times]

(More headlines: Jameson, NFL touchdowns, House of Frasier.) Continue reading...