Brown-Forman gives international visitors a souvenir

Packaged by Brown-Forman's Old Forester Distilling, Louisville, KY, the bourbon's packaging was produced in just three months. The bottle is supplied by Owens-Brockway (Toledo, OH) from a Brown-Forman private mold. Labels from Spear (Cincinnati, OH) are 2-mil oriented polypropylene, screen printed in four (front) or five colors. The front label is also hot stamped. The neck is covered by a neckband of 3-mil polyvinyl chloride that's reverse-gravure-printed in five colors by Uniflex (Anaheim Hills, CA). The gift box from Southern Standard (Louisville, KY) has a sizable window that shows off the front label. "Duty-free shops told us they wanted a product that was unique with an Olympics theme for the crowds this summer," says Dave Stang of B-F's marketing staff, "even though our connection is not official. Few companies can afford to pay all the licensing fees for sponsor status. The stylized javelin thrower on the front label, and the big numerals that represent both the year and the proof help convey the Olympics theme." The selling price is about $35, and Stang reports strong business in shops that have displayed it prominently.