Margot Robbie’s Byron Bay-produced gin brand, Papa Salt Coastal Gin, has appointed its first global marketing lead as it looks to build on its growing success in Australia and expand internationally.
Richard Pilbeam has been appointed global marketing director in the newly created role, where he will lead the brand’s strategy and marketing, overseeing brand awareness, consumer engagement and growth across Australia, the UK and new markets.
Pilbeam brings eight years of drinks marketing experience to the role, including stints as Monster Energy’s director of marketing for GB & Ireland and head of marketing at functional beverage brand Goodrays.
He said he was thrilled to be “joining a brand that’s doing things a bit differently and not following the category conventions”.
“I think spirits is one of the toughest categories to stand out in right now, and that’s exactly what makes this so exciting,” Pilbeam said. “The growth so far has been incredible, but the real excitement is in what this brand can become globally.”
The appointment comes as Papa Salt saw more than 46,000 bottles sold last year, and the brand now stocked in more than 265 Dan Murphy’s stores nationally.
Co-founded in 2023 by Robbie, fellow Queenslander Josey McNamara, Tom Ackerley, Charlie Maas and Regan Riskas Maas, the brand launched with its first production run selling out in less than 48 hours. First-year sales also exceeded its original forecast by more than four times.
Distilled in Byron Bay, Papa Salt is currently sold across Australia and the UK, with its range spanning 50ml, 700ml and one-litre bottles, alongside its Gin Paloma and Blood Orange Gin Spritz ready-to-drink offerings.
Co-founder and CEO Charlie Maas said the creation of the brand’s first global marketing role marked an important investment in its next stage of growth.
“We’ve built strong momentum in Australia since launching in 2023, and creating our first global marketing role is an important investment in the next stage of the business,” Maas said.
“Our ambition is to become Australia’s No.1 super-premium gin while continuing to grow internationally. Richard brings the combination of big-brand experience and challenger instinct to help us achieve that.”
