Press Room
Ontario Airport teams with Sammy Hagar, Delaware North to create innovative, new customer experience
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(Ontario, California – April 12, 2021) – Local rock music legend Sammy Hagar will be bringing his global brand to Ontario International Airport (ONT) as part of an innovative partnership between the airport, Delaware North and Hagar’s Santo Tequila and Sammy’s Beach Bar Rum product lines.
The partnership is the latest example of ONT’s shift toward fully immersed marketing experiences since moving management and control of airport advertising in-house. Under the partnership the full Santo Tequila line and Sammy’s Beach Bar Rum are available at the Rock & Brews restaurant in Terminal 4, and are featured on an in-house cocktail list, takeaway drink cups and an array of giveaways, such as luggage tags, caps and mugs. Rock & Brews staff also have Santo-branded uniforms.
“Working with Delaware North and the Santo brands, we’re going beyond traditional static advertising and creating a true customer experience,” said Dan Cappell, Chief Commercial Officer for the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA). “And, of course, we’re thrilled to partner with one of our region’s own, the great Sammy Hagar.”
Hagar, who grew up in nearby Fontana, achieved international stardom as a solo artist and lead singer for the band Van Halen, and in 2007 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Van Halen. As a businessman, Hagar founded the Cabo Wabo Tequila brand and restaurant chain, and, more recently, Santo Tequila brand with Emmy Award-winning chef and restaurateur Guy Fieri. Santo Tequila is one of the fastest growing tequila brands in North America. It is made with 100% pure Blue Weber agave and the blanco tequila was recently named by the Robb report as a “top 7 tequila in the world.”
Bill Summers, General Manager of Delaware North, which manages food and beverage concessions at ONT, said sales of Santo Tequila and Sammy’s Beach Bar Rum have exceeded expectations.
“To have a local rock Legend actively involved and supporting the campaign has resonated with our customers, and we look forward to working with Mr. Hagar and the team at OIAA to further strengthen this partnership,” Summers said.
The marketing partnership is the second to be announced in recent weeks at ONT, America’s fastest-growing airport three years running.
“Having a dedicated resource to promote and manage our advertising and sponsorship program has already proven that the decision to bring this discipline in house was the right one for our business,” Cappell said. “We have a number of projects that we are still working through the details on and look forward to announcing these in the near future.”
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About Ontario International Airport
Ontario International Airport (ONT) is the fastest growing airport in the United States, according to Global Traveler, a leading publication for frequent fliers. Located in the Inland Empire, ONT is approximately 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles in the center of Southern California. It is a full-service airport which, before the coronavirus pandemic, offered nonstop commercial jet service to 26 major airports in the U.S., Mexico and Taiwan. More information is available at www.flyOntario.com. Follow @flyONT on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
About the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA)
The OIAA was formed in August 2012 by a Joint Powers Agreement between the City of Ontario and the County of San Bernardino to provide overall direction for the management, operations, development and marketing of ONT for the benefit of the Southern California economy and the residents of the airport's four-county catchment area. OIAA Commissioners are Ontario Mayor Pro Tem Alan D. Wapner (President), Retired Riverside Mayor Ronald O. Loveridge (Vice President), Ontario City Council Member Jim W. Bowman (Secretary), San Bernardino County Supervisor Curt Hagman (Commissioner) and retired business executive Julia Gouw (Commissioner).
About Santo Tequila
Rocker Sammy Hagar and famed chef Guy Fieri found their virtuoso with Juan Eduardo Nunez, the third-generation master distiller from the famed distillery El Viejito, founded in 1937, in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico. Sammy’s history of making world-renowned tequila, Guy’s world famous taste buds, and Juan Eduardo’s award-winning craftsmanship, bring to life the portfolio of Santo spirits, a sinfully smooth old world style tequila banco, an oak-aged reposado, and the world’s first mezquilla. Santo Tequila was recently named a top 20 tequila in the world by the Robb report.
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