What can Whisky learn from Gin?

A presentation to the World Whisky Conference, 12 April 2011 Nick Gray

Mixing the traditional with the contemporary: are there lessons to be learnt from gin?

Contents…

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What is Design Bridge; what do we know about Whisky or Gin?

What do whisky brands stand for?

Perceptions of whisky

The world today; the birth of “Rivivalism”

Charting the rise of gin over the past 15 years

What can whisky learn from gin?

Conclusion

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What is Design Bridge?

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What do we know about gin or whisky?

The Macallan 1824 Collection

10 © Design Bridge

Highland Distillers/Edrington Group Global Whisky/Duty Free

Challenge The Macallan doesn’t have enough aged whisky to meet future demand in global travel retail. The solution was to withdraw its range of aged products and replace it with a new un-aged blended range – a breakthrough innovation in the market.

Solution Our story is, ‘1824: The Masters of Spirit and Wood’. We identified each chapter (whisky type), created the variant names and wrote the copy. Our creative idea, the story line, runs through all the touchpoints, unifying the range.

Telling a good story

Chivas Regal 12 Centenary Edition

11 © Design Bridge

Pernod Ricard/Chivas Bros Global Whisky

Challenge Following our previous limited edition tin design in 2008, our brief was to design an exclusive travel retail gift tin. The new premium packaging needed to clearly communicate ‘exhuberant luxury’ and convey travel cues.

Solution Our design captures the experience of ‘Luxury travel’. The 3D texture pays homage to the diamond etched pattern on Chivas Regal 12’s core outer packaging. The new gift box forms a protective case around the premium spirit inside.

Travel edition

Teacher’s Highland Cream

12 © Design Bridge

Beam Global Global Whisky

Challenge Teacher’s Highland Cream has three key markets; Brazil, India and UK. With different packaging in each, the brand required a unified global image. Our brief was to create an ownable 2D & 3D solution to make Teacher’s relevant and contemporary.

Solution Our big idea, ‘The right spirit’, helped us define the values of care, simplicity and dignity that set the tone for Teacher’s’ new image. The contemporary use of a marque found in the archives pays homage to the brand’s impressive history.

A modern education

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Beefeater

13 © Design Bridge

Chivas Brothers Global Gin

Challenge Beefeater had been neglected for several years and, as a result, had lost its premium positioning in many global markets. The brand’s image needed to reflect its rich provenance as the only London Gin still actually produced in London.

Solution Beefeater now exudes the spirit of ‘Authentic London’. In Spain, the second biggest gin market in the world, sales increased 14% in the first nine months and, in the developing market of Russia, sales shot up by 37%!

Made in London

Beefeater 24

14 © Design Bridge

Chivas Brothers Global Gin

Challenge With a new super premium blend, Chivas Bros hoped to cement Beefeater’s place as the worlds leading gin brand. Having helped establish Beefeater Dry as the everyday long drink, we needed to create a compelling story for the new offer.

Solution The big brand idea, “Daring London Glamour”, captures the duality of London’s glamour and danger. Our name, 24, pays homage to the city’s 24 hr culture and the 24 hr distillation. In Spain, 2009s stock was sold in the first qtr.

Daring London Glamour

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What do whisky brands stand for?

What do whisky brands stand for…

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In general:

Heritage, provenance, quality ingredients, age…

Be it:

Single malt Blend Bourbon

And a few mix the traditional with the contemporary…

Jack Daniels Balancing authentic heritage with a modern rock 'n’ roll popular culture

Vs.

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Perceptions of whisky

Perceptions of whisky

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Success

Status

Progression

Wealth

Class

Age is best

Status

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Class

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$55 $90 $220 $1,950 $650

Wealth

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Aged: 70 year old Glenlivet for £13k (090311)

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Progression

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The world today; the birth of “Revivalism”

The world today…

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More of us living in cities…

UK 1950 – 79% living in cities 2030 – 92.2% predicted to live in cities

China 1950 – 13% living in cities 2030 – 40% predicted to live in cities

Botswana 1950 – 2.7% living in cities 2030 – 61.2% predicted to live in cities

With numbers set to rise will our perceptions of status change?

Revivalism…

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An urban revolution that is reviving: •  old customs and hobbies •  time-honoured traditions •  a simpler way of life •  local initiatives in a digital age •  forgotten brands

“People are fed up with the economic and social model of mass production and consumption” Jeffrey Saunders The Copenhagen Institute for Future Studies

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For Example: Old customs, hobbies and fashions

Fashion (beard comeback in 2008)

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Hobbyism (retro bike culture)

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Old customs (Bleeding Thumb Whittling Club)

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For Example: A simpler way of life

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For Example: Local initiatives

Eagle Street Rooftop Farm (Be Local)

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6,000 square foot green roof organic vegetable farm located atop a warehouse rooftop in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

During New York City’s growing season, the farmers at Eagle Street Rooftop Farm supply a community supported agriculture (CSA) program, an onsite farm market, and bicycle fresh produce to area restaurants.

Urban bee keeping (Be Local)

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Pret A Manger – Conduit Street (Micro even when your Macro)

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Charting the rise of gin over the past 15 years

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A noticeable split spotted five years ago

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Beefeater creative brief

Beefeater needed to rediscover the authenticity of its London roots.

Beefeater

41 © Design Bridge

Chivas Brothers Global Gin

Challenge Beefeater had been neglected for several years and, as a result, had lost its premium positioning in many global markets. The brand’s image needed to reflect its rich provenance as the only London Gin still actually produced in London.

Solution Beefeater now exudes the spirit of ‘Authentic London’. In Spain, the second biggest gin market in the world, sales increased 14% in the first nine months and, in the developing market of Russia, sales shot up by 37%!

Made in London

Beefeater 24 - Daring London glamour

Daring London glamour - naming

Beefeater 24

44 © Design Bridge

Chivas Brothers Global Gin

Challenge With a new super premium blend, Chivas Bros hoped to cement Beefeater’s place as the worlds leading gin brand. Having helped establish Beefeater Dry as the everyday long drink, we needed to create a compelling story for the new offer.

Solution The big brand idea, “Daring London Glamour”, captures the duality of London’s glamour and danger. Our name, 24, pays homage to the city’s 24 hr culture and the 24 hr distillation. In Spain, 2009s stock was sold in the first qtr.

Daring London Glamour

Daring London glamour – launch event

Gin timeline in 21st Century

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2009 2010 USA 2000 UK 2003

2008 2008 UK 2009 2009 2009 2010 2010 2010 2009

Hendricks A pioneering gin from a whisky stable (It’s not for everyone!)

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Sipsmith Small Batch, Traditional Recipes

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Passion, breaking new ground, uncovering lost recipes

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Innocent drinks and Sipsmith; 0.3 miles of separation!

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Sipsmith

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“…people are talking about it and if anything it sort of started a movement which is pretty powerful stuff” Tim Hayward Food writer, Broadcaster Speaking at The Observer Food and Drink Awards 2010

An URBAN spirit reviving craft and fine ingredients

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Small Batch - Handcrafted

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A blurring of boundaries

Symbols of heritage tradition and authenticity

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Aged: Nolet Reserve Gin £700 (100311)

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What can whisky learn from gin?

What can whisky learn from gin?

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Age and sipping are not sacred – boundaries are getting blurred.

Nu-austerity in Western markets has dampened appetites for images of status.

Revivalism captures a craving for craft and simple pleasures in life, spawning brands like Sipsmith.

Gin has successfully mixed images of tradition and contemporary, as a true reflection of its roots – i.e. cities.

Conclusion and the paradox of revivalism

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Gin is by association an URBAN spirit; Whisky a RURAL spirit.

Many URBAN brands are embracing revivalism, which paradoxical assimilates RURAL practices.

Whisky has long been associated with status but has started to curb overt shows of wealth in many markets.

Whisky has all the raw ingredients to embrace revivalism but… •  will its RURAL roots hamper such a course •  will market pressures determine its course

Is Revivalism just a fad? If not is whisky on borrowed time? (the start of their evening and the end of yours?)

Thank you

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