Cream liqueur RumChata launched a seasonal Peppermint Bark LTO last week during an “Unusual Wreath Making Party,” hosted by eTalk’s Tyrone Edwards and featuring influencers such as Torri Webster (see video, below).

The evening transformed the typical wreath-making workshop into a tropical escape featuring palm leaves and colourful blooms, designed in collaboration with floral artist Brock Stacey. Following the event, the campaign will run for four weeks primarily on social media, with the tagline “tis the season to ‘Chata.”

“The campaign is mutually beneficial for both the cream liqueur category and RumChata,” says Samantha Mathieson, brand manager of spirits and ready to drink at parent, Gallo. “The cream liqueur segment is significantly smaller by volume than other mainstream spirits, like whiskey and vodka, [and] our goal is to show consumers the versatility of the category and how the products can fit into various consumption occasions.”

Mathieson tells strategy the holiday season is traditionally where the majority of the annual cream liqueur volume is sold. With its limited-edition RumChata Peppermint Bark release, the brand felt it was important to be active during this key period, she adds.

Differentiating itself from the popular whiskey-based holiday liqueur Baileys, RumChata is made with Caribbean rum, Mexican spice and has horchata flavour profiles, Mathieson points out. Horchata – a catch-all term for beverages made from rice, cinnamon and milk, with regional variations across Spain and South and Central America – is also a popular TikTok search and content trend. The beverage also captured the broader public’s imagination enough that QSRs like Starbucks and McDonald’s have unveiled related flavours.

“RumChata aligns closest with female millennials,” Mathieson says. “Being a rum-based cream liqueur versus the traditional whiskey allows for a smoother taste, which has strong appeal to younger consumers.”

There are also opportunities to expand usage outside of the holidays, particularly through flavour innovation,” Mathieson says, adding that RumChata released RumChata Coconut Cream earlier this year as a spring limited edition. “We believe RumChata can bring a wider consumer audience into the cream category, with the rise in cocktail culture and making fun drinks at home, [and] we believe there is an opportunity for RumChata to be on the bar in everyone’s home.”

The Local Collective (TLC) led the creative, Wild Child Group handled the PR and media buying was done in-house. This is the first project for TLC with Gallo since the agency entered the relationship in August.