What about icons on Vodka bottles ?

Have you ever realized that there are brand icons on each vodka bottle?
As far as I am concerned, until now, I have never asked myself about the meaning of icons on Vodka bottle. More accurately, sometimes I realize that there are icons but I have never proceeded to research trying to understand these brand icons.

But actually, most of vodka brands own icons that have a sense. And personally, we find that interesting to learn about the meaning of these icons that most of the time falls within history. 

For Eristoff to begin :

 

As you can see, the Eristoff icon represents a wolf under the moon. Do you have any idea why? Guess what ?  I will help you ! In fact, Georgian Prince Ivan Eristavi created a recipe for his vodka in 1806 with the name Eristavi (Georgian name) which will evolve in Eristoff (Rusian name).  And for a very long time Georgia was well known as “Land of the Wolf” since Persians gave it that name when they invaded this land in the 5^th century. Above all, the wolf was very revered by the Prince Eristoff because of its mystic and physical power.

 

Many tales relate the legendary Wolf King, Vakhtang Gorgasali, a respected king warrior that wore a helmet with a wolf head as a symbol of courage against the Persian incursions in Georgia in the 5^th century.

Eristoff brand clearly play with the wolf icon that represent lot of history, bravery, and above all mystical and physical power trying to attract more and more people in that atmosphere.

About SOBIESKI :

We can observe that there is a little portrait on each bottle. Don’t you think it is weird to buy maybe more than one time a month a bottle like this without knowing why there is a head on each bottle?  In a few minutes, I promise you could impress your friends next time you will buy this bottle.

Actually, Sobieski Vodka is a Polish Vodka from rye. Its name and the picture you can see on each bottle refer to the 17^th century Polish king and military leader Jan III Sobieski.Very revered today because he represents Polish national characters such as indomitable spirit and bravery, he was also very smart and cultivated. This icon was admired by his population but also by his enemies, which called him “The Lion of Poland” and “The Savior of Western Civilization” because of its military victories.

Then come again with animals!  Zubrowka !

Zubrowka is also Polish Vodka, distilled in Bialystok for 600 years from rye. For our previous example, the name represents someone in history. But I don’t know what is your feeling but for us, Zubrowka does not sound like a family name, isn’t it ?

And you’re right! “Zubr” is the Polish and Belarus name for a wild bison native to Poland, which most of the time eat “bison grass” – hierochloe odorata. You can find one of this blades in each Zubrowka bottle. This plant is aromatic and is hard to find, it resists cultivation and is still hand- harvest. Zubr is one of the most endangered animals granted the stricted protection under national and international environmental laws. They live in Bialystok forest for undred of years and these are the reasons why this Polish Vodka take this icon in honor of the bison that eat this blade everyday.

No one can deny that Zubrowka can affect people that are concerned with environmental issues and animal preservation.

 

Last but not least : ABSOLUT VODKA

Absolut was produced in 1879 in Ahus, Sweden by Lars Olsson Smith in its Absolut Distillery, which invent in 1879 the revolutionary fractional distillation that produces liquor without fusel alcohol.

He earned the title of “King of Vodka” with this new standard that allow him to create the “Absolut Rent Branvin”: absolutely pure Vodka. 

And since the beginning, to ensure the quality of Absolut Vodka around the world, all of Absolut Vodka bottle come from this only one Absolut distillery in Ahus, founded by this man. These explain why you could find the portrait of Lars Olsson Smith on every Absolut Vodka bottle.

Now let's go the the supermarket to buy a bottle of Vodka and see how this article and above all Vodka icons will influence your choice ! 

Do not forget ! Alcohol abuse is dangerous for health, consume with moderation !

 

The Absolut strikes back

 Well well… Okay… I do have to admit that Smirnoff bottles aren’t my only party friends. If I look at the pictures of the past month parties I have to say that Absolut Vodka bottles are at the back of most of crazy pictures and yes most of the time… empty! And nothing is more normal given that Absolut is the second best VODKA seller worldwide, after Smirnoff. The originally Swedish brand, now owned by the giant French group Pernot Ricard sold more than 11,2 Millions cases in 2011 and the figures are getting bigger and bigger year after year. (http://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2012/07/vodka-brand-champions-2012/)

 

So what can explain the success of Absolut? They were the first to diversify their flavors, peach, caramel, lemon, and strawberry and so on and so forth. True and it has participated to the success of the brand but this diversification is quite recent and the success of the brand has not only been built on this. Actually Absolut has always believed in continuity combined with  variety (http://fr.slideshare.net/FeLix29/absolut-vodka-marketing-strategy-11547939).

 

The first Absolut Bottle advertising started in 1975 and ran over 25 years, remaining as one of the most famous marketing campaign that have ever existed. The campaign won more the 350 awards. All the Bottle ads campaign was focused on the original shape of the bottle associated with a city, a famous person or just a word. It was a really efficient campaign as it had a continuous background corporate message ‘Absolut is everything and everywhere with you’ and could adjust a secondary message to each different advert in order to emphasize on a new product, a new trend a new place, a news in the media or a new flavor.

 

Since 2010 Absolut has a new marketing campaign, totally discontinued from the previous one, now emphasizing on a message rather than on the Brand. What Happen ‘In an Absolut world’ The message is simple and greatly playing on humor and emotion. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49UCWUxLRO4&list=PLDF58EB4212D7C942)

 

This simple message enables Absolut to send messages about how the Brand sees the world, pushing the common rules away and positioning the brand on serious worldwide issues (Global warming). Thanks to this new campaign, sales have jumped about 10% between 2009 and 2010.

What’s more, it is important to note that Absolut also support the brand through cooperation with artists and musicians (http://www.contactmusic.com/pages/lennykravitzx18x01x06)

Absolut also does expose its products in Medias, movies and unlikely locations (here below in the  famous Simpson series)

 

To conclude, we can easily say that Absolut strategy has been over the years a real success, overexposing the brand to their target, and sending clear and precise messages to their target… And yes targets like me so once again not a surprise to notice that I have a lot of Absolut carcass at home.

 

 

Vodka la la la la !

In Europe, young people are such fan of vodka and consume it often, too often…

We’ve tried to define why they like so much this drink and first things coming is the taste and colour, transparent, innocuous, unlike whiskey, for example. One can easily mix vodka with juice or soda. The price, about 12€ a bottle of 75cl of Vodka, is affordable for them and it is more advantageous to buy a bottle and make their own mix for a strong drink. It is ideal for the "preheat" or the conditioning before going out… 

For a long time, drinking Vodka is associated with the notion of celebration for most adolescents, they probably won’t drink Vodka by themself alone, but nowadays teens thus have a new way to drink, they want to be drunk as fast as possible and made some competition drinks and « preheat ritual » (at home, in a car park...).

According to the Swiss Health Survey, we can note that among teenagers 16 to 19 years, 32% say that spirits are their favourite alcoholic drink weekly. And it is among the young people of this age, that the frequency of spirits consumption is highest. After beer it’s among consumers of spirits, that the frequency of excessive consumption is also higher (number of times the amount consumed was equal to or higher than 5 glasses of 4cl).

In Switzerland, petrol stations and train stations are current place of purchase for teenager, but this trend declines rapidly from the age of 25 years. In France, teenagers purchase their Vodka in supermarket because price is affordable for them, they get choice and cashier doesn’t ask them every time their ID. More they can also buy juice to mix with this alcohol. Everything is grouped in a supermarket, they can have all the same time: alcohol, juice, glasses, chips…

Around the world, young people's practices concerning alcohol are similar. However, some Americans have found a new way to get drunk faster but it’s very dangerous: they put a hygienic tampon of vodka in their anus! In fact, the alcohol goes directly through the veins without being digested by the stomach, the effect is very fast but in overdose they can’t vomit alcohol and consequences can be terrible (ethyl coma)...

Vodk'adabra !

For change let's talk about vodka.

In fact they are a lot of different flavors to delight everyone. From a marketing standpoint, the vodka producing these scents are looking to differentiate themselves from their competitors as had been seen in the range of champagnes where a collection of " pieces of gold " in the champagne had was created .

But not only. The brand try to send this message " tell me who you are, i will tell you your kind of vodka..."

Your are a sweet person : Mango, Bubble Gum, Grappe...

Your a dynamic person : Lemon et Lime, Peach, Chilli...

About the taste, a minority of people can make the difference between vodkas in Europe . ( Unlike in Russia). So what can make the difference .... The image of the brand, and added value.



ABSOLUT were the first to diversify their perfumes, the most famous is its peach vodka



The added value can be the distribution ... In fact , for example vodka BELVEDERE who is very present in nightclub is not necessarily in stores (large distributions), making  not being able to find the product everywhere is one stratgy of luxury brand . 

So now, you have no reason to not order vodka on the next party ! ( with moderation)