Jim Beam has signed on for a three-year deal with Surfing Australia as its Official Spirits Partner. For the bourbon brand, the partnership further reinforces its commitment to foster community connections and immerse the brand in Australian culture. With over 2.5 million active surfers and a further 6.2 million surfing fans, the collaboration with Surfing Australia positions the brand at the heart of the beach lifestyle.
As the Official Spirits partner, Jim Beam will support all key events, including the Hyundai Australian Boardriders Battle (ABB) National Series, which is the country’s biggest grassroots boardrider event, involving more than 75 local Aussie boardrider clubs. The event spans eight state qualifying rounds, culminating in a grand final event in March 2024 at Burleigh Heads in Queensland. Jim Beam will sponsor at both state and grand final rounds, integrating through on-ground activation, content creation and broadcast, while supporting boardrider clubs with the Jim Beam® Team Spirit Award.
The sponsorship also extends to support the first ever female-only participatory surfing festival, Seas The Day, which after a successful inaugural event in 2023, will be returning in 2024.
“Jim Beam is an iconic brand that has celebrated the power of human connection for over two hundred years, going back to the front porch of the Beam family home where everyone was welcome. Our new global brand campaign puts our authenticity and warmth on full display and reminds audiences that there’s no feeling more special than being around other people,” stated Trent Chapman, marketing director at Beam Suntory Australia and New Zealand.
“It is with great pride and excitement that we announce a partnership between Jim Beam and Surfing Australia. This collaboration represents a remarkable opportunity for us to get closer to Aussie communities and embed the brand within these aspirational lifestyle moments.
Surfing Australia’s head of partnerships Clarissa Pike said: “At Surfing Australia, we understand the profound role that community plays in Australian beach culture. With Jim Beam’s history of celebrating and fostering community, and their clear passion to support Surfing Australia at a grassroots level right through to our tentpole activations, this collaboration is something we truly feel invigorated by, and look forward to what summer 2023-24 has to bring.”
Surfing Australia currently has 215 clubs in its network, as well as 120 surf schools.