• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, May 29, 2009

Red Stag by Jim Beam, the first major product launch under the Beam brand name in more than a decade, has enlisted Kid Rock to help achieve its aim of appealing to an expanded customer base.

Red Stag -- traditional Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey infused with natural black cherry flavors -- will be the headline sponsor for Kid Rock's 25-city 2009 Rock N' Rebels Tour this summer.

The new spirit and Kid Rock, a long-standing supporter of U.S. military personnel, will contribute to Operation Homefront ¬-- a non-profit that provides assistance to veterans returning home -- by donating 50 cents from each ticket sold to the organization.

Red Stag launches in June. Kid Rock (a Detroit native) will kick off the marketing push by serving as Grand Marshal of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series LifeLock 400 race at Michigan International Speedway on June 14. The concert tour starts June 26 in West Palm Beach, Fla.

The celebrity tie-ins include a "Call of the Wild" sweepstakes (to run from July 6 through Aug. 31) in which the winner and three friends will receive an "all-access" weekend to see Kid Rock perform live in Las Vegas, as well as other prizes. Fans can enter through the Jim Beam and Red Stag sites (JimBeam.com and TheRedStag.com), their Facebook fan pages, or via SMS mobile messaging.

Throughout the tour, legal-age consumers in select markets will be offered access to an exclusive, free Kid Rock download, opportunities for VIP passes and post-show meet-and-greets, Red Stag merchandise, at-concert samplings and giveaways of premiums such as inflatable bottles. Kid Rock cocktails, table tents, coasters, shelf talkers and POS guitars are also part of the marketing mix.

Red Stag is intended to appeal both to current Jim Beam drinkers and "new consumers who may not have previously considered the Bourbon category," Jim Beam sponsorship manager Brian Gallagher confirms to Marketing Daily. The aim is to "extend and deepen the brand's relevance" to men and women in their 20's and 30's by emphasizing mobile and interactive outreach within the integrated marketing strategy, he added in comments provided by email.

Kid Rock, a "long-time Jim Beam loyalist with an authentic affinity for the brand," was a natural ambassador choice, and meshed with the campaign's goal of "moving beyond merely talking about Red Stag" to "actually showing consumers what it stands for," Gallagher notes. "As one of the most versatile and influential contemporary musicians today, Kid Rock spans multiple genres and appeals to a diverse fan base. He helps our brand resonate directly with our core consumers in a meaningful way."

House-infused Bourbons with flavors ranging from bacon to mint have been common for years at trendy bars, and a growing number of infused offerings from major distillers have been cropping up within brown spirits as well as vodkas.