Hanson Associates brands Pernod Ricard’s “BarSmarts” Program 

Start with the leading global supplier of prestigious spirits and wines, add an innovative education program designed by the world’s most celebrated cocktail experts, and call on a team of master “brandologists” to help whip it into a tasty reality.  That was the recipe for BarSmarts™.a first-of-a-kind online bartender education and certification program born from the top-shelf collaboration between Pernod Ricard USA, BAR LLC, and Hanson Associates, a national brand-marketing design firm.

Launched in August 2008, BarSmarts™ offers two levels of accredited bartender training and education.  Approximately 1,000 bartenders from ten major markets in 2008-2009 will be invited to participate in BarSmarts ADVANCED, the new gold-standard of spirits and cocktail education designed by the all-star team from BAR LLC (Beverage Alcohol Resource): Dale DeGroff, Doug Frost, Steven Olson, F. Paul Pacult, Andy Seymour and David Wondrich.

 “The creative foresight from Hanson Associates made BarSmartsTM exceptional – both creatively and functionally,” says Suzanne Freedman, Director, On-Premise Initiatives, Pernod Ricard USA. “Their vision and approach to the brand gave the much needed energy and relevance to the trendy bartender audiences in the NY and SF markets. And their full range of services enabled us to launch a highly acclaimed program.”

 “This was a dream job for us because we were at the forefront of a new concept for an industry that is always creating and inventing,” says Gil Hanson, founder and president of Hanson Associates. “We had enormous fun branding the program, developing the content and working with Pernod and BAR LLC.  And the best part of the collaboration is there’s more to come.”