• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, May 23, 2016

Bacardi vodka brand Grey Goose is collaborating this summer with aviation company Blade on a season-long experiential campaign that will treat Blade customer’s to free Grey Goose libations as they head for locales like the Hamptons, Nantucket and other playgrounds of the well-to-do.

The effort is designed to reinforce the message that Grey Goose is the drink of choice for those that live or aspire to embrace a high-flying lifestyle, and to punctuate that message at high-end transportation hubs and destinations.

The campaign, which was orchestrated by OMD’s Ignition Factory, runs from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day weekend. It includes Grey Goose branding on some Blade helicopters, as well as a presence at seven arrival/departure lounges and landing pads on the east coast. The tagline on the landing pads is “Fly Beyond.” 

Blade is an Uber-type service for short-distance flyers. Reservations are made via the Blade app and the campaign also includes Grey Goose messaging that is tied to the app.

According to Tracy Quitasol, East Coast Director, Ignition Factory, the client was looking for a unique marketing idea that would enable the brand to “own the summer destination space.” After some due diligence her unit found Blade and concluded that a partnership with the company would be great way for Grey Goose to do that.

Both Blade and the vodka brand are all about “an expectation of luxury,” Quitasol said.

Grey Goose Global VP Tom Swift agrees, noting that the brand is spending more on experiential efforts to woo travelers. “We are making a significant investment in creating more luxury experiences in the world of travel to celebrate those who are true innovators,” he said. Partnering with Blade in such an endeavor works given that the aviation firm “is creating unrivaled new experiences in travel.”

OMD won the consolidated global Bacardi media assignment in April of 2015.