DISPLAY OF 'TITANIC' IS USED TO HOIST BASS ALE SALES AT H-E-B SUBSIDIARY

RICHARD TURCSIK

AUSTIN, Texas -- Central Market here, a subsidiary of San Antonio-based H.E. Butt Grocery Co., used a massive display modeled after the Titanic to raise its sales of Bass ale.

The display, which was the national winner of the Bass Ale Voyage to the Titanic display contest sponsored by Stamford, Conn.-based Guinness Import Co., helped increase Bass Ale sales substantially at Central Market, when it was up for the month of July, according to Nona Evans, public relations coordinator at Central Market.

"It was a good draw in our store. We ran with an incredible special on Bass ale of $4.99 for a six-pack of 12-ounce bottles," she said. "People are always attracted and use our store as a focal point to show their friends the neat things that are available in Austin. It was a lot of fun and our shoppers enjoyed it."

The display, created by Sean O'Neill from Centex Beverage here, and Derek Hopkins, Guinness sales manager, took 10 people and two weeks to build and was up for the month of July. It was 23 feet long, 12 feet wide, 10 feet high, and weighed over 500 pounds. Encased in plexiglass and framed by neon, the diorama was made from a boat that was salvaged from a junk yard and repainted to look like the sunken luxury liner. The boat was surrounded by 1,000 Bass ale six-pack cases, with another 1,000 cases kept in the back stockroom for restocking.

"We really try to provide our shoppers here with unique vivid information. This display was geared around the Titanic and people really enjoyed reading about the history. On the side of the display was quite a large explanation about the history of the Titanic," Evans said.

A Guinness spokeswoman told SN the display-building contest was available to all Guinness representatives across the country.