Havana Club introduces Añejo Clásico

Marking two decades of US presence and celebrating the peak of Cuba’s cultural resurgence, Havana Club Puerto Rican rum is rolling out a market expansion with a new bottle design. The introduction of a dark rum variant, Havana Club Añejo Clásico, complements the existing Havana Club Añejo Blanco offering, and the launch of a new brand campaign: ‘The Golden Age, Aged Well'. The Havana Club Añejo Clásico makes its debut in Florida today, with expansion continuing throughout the US this summer.

Havana Club asked Jones Knowles Ritchie to design the new dark rum variant and the Blanco packaging to reflect the it’s authenticity as the credible, premium Cuban rum distiller it has become since its establishment in 1878. 

As an ode to the family that produced rum for generations, the crest on every bottle is a reminder of the brand’s gilded origins. The sleek, yet timeless-feeling, bottles feature a centre seal, which has been prominently featured on packaging and advertising since the brands inception in 1934. The crest, created by the founding Arechabala family, is surrounded by hand-lettered typography reminiscent of this lively, bygone time.

Fabio Di Giammarco, global vice president of rums for Bacardi says:  “We are thrilled to launch Havana Club Añejo Clásico and share it, alongside Havana Club Añejo Blanco, with the support of the ‘The Golden Age, Aged Well’ creative campaign, which highlights the stunning Cuban historical period during which this rum was most revered. It is an honour that the Arechabala family has entrusted us to continue their family’s legacy and have no doubt that we’ll be able to bring to life all the things that made it a legendary brand.”

Made from the finest sugarcane molasses, the Añejo Clásico rum begins with bases that are mellowed in oak casks between one to three years, before being chosen for selective filtration and blending. Upon blending, the master blenders return the rum to oak casks for a second mellowing period of at least three months for additional smoothness. The result is a golden liquid with robust notes of sweet fruits akin to pineapple and apricot, complemented by oaky notes with hints of almond and vanilla.

“Our family could not be happier that Bacardi is launching Havana Club Añejo Clásico, which is based on the original recipe created by the Arechabala family in 1934,” said Jose Arechabala, a great-grandson of founder Jose Arechabala Aldama. “Our families knew each other before we were both exiled from Cuba, and with Bacardi being the premiere rum company in the world, it’s only fitting that they continue our legacy by paying proper homage to the capital city of Cuba, a place we once called home.” 

Along with the new product and packaging, the brand is also introducing a new creative ad campaign, ‘The Golden Age, Aged Well’, which evokes the glamorous, effervescent feeling of the Golden Era in Cuba and pays tribute to the historical Cuban Golden Age heritage of Havana Club.  Tag lines for the ad campaign include ‘The Freedom, The Decadence, The Dazzle, The Glamour.  If Only Someone Had Bottled It’, ‘Even A Revolution Couldn’t Topple The Rum’, and ‘Always True To Its Rumba Loving Soul’.

 With a focus on Miami, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Denver, Las Vegas, New York City, and Philadelphia, the advertising campaign will be executed through programmatic buying to distribute high-impact and native media including custom videos and cocktail education, reaching a sophisticated consumer through private marketplaces, geo-based spot and digital radio and mobile location. Out-of-Home advertising will be implemented throughout Miami, Fla.

Añejo Blanco has a RRP of US$19.99 and Añejo Clásico US$21.99. 

6 June 2016 - Felicity Murray The Drinks Report, editor