Frank and Ed--the folksy duo who helped popularize Bartles & Jaymes Wine Coolers in the Eighties--will be stepping off the porch and back into the marketing fray. Auditions to replace the first Frank
(played by David Rufkhar, who died in 1996) and Ed (Dick Maugg) are now being held.
Blair Owens, manager at Bartles & Jaymes parent company Ernest & Julio Gallo, says the new Frank and Ed
will be placed in "fish out of water situations where you wouldn't expect to see them." The two will appear at media-centric red carpet happenings such as movie premieres and sporting events. New TV
spots are being discussed.
They will face some familiar competition. California Coolers--the original wine cooler brand in 1981--has been reformulated and relaunched after a 15-year
hiatus. Both brands will target women 35-plus who helped create the category. Bartles & Jaymes is No. 1 in the category with eight million cases sold, according to the most recent numbers from Impact.
Seagram's Coolers sold over five million cases.
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