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Top 10
Biggest spirits brand reinventions
In a ruthless marketplace, spirits brands are adopting increasingly innovative tactics to remain contemporary and unique – here’s our list of the biggest spirits brand reinventions.
Drambuie whisky liqueur is one spirits brand to feature on our list of the biggest spirits brand reinventions
Whether to pump new life into a flagging brand or expand the consumer base of an old favourite, companies are consistently seeking ways to broaden their appeal.
The much-maligned liqueurs category is one which has seen some of the most reinvention over recent years in an attempt to shed its dusty and out-of-date image.
Against stiff competition and with an enthusiastic customer base always seeking the “next big thing,” Scotch whisky and brandy are also categories demonstrating renewal, revival and reinvention.
Vodka brands also appear a couple of times on our list, undergoing modernising makeovers to help them stand out in a particularly saturated category.
With millions of pounds pumped into each project, the stakes are high, but, if brands are successful in their makeover endeavours, rewards can be huge.
Click through the following pages to see our pick of the biggest spirits brand reinventions.
Think we’ve missed off an obvious choice? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
Baileys
Diageo’s efforts to revamp its Baileys cream liqueur brand included a huge marketing campaign targeting female consumers and a new sleeker, sexier bottle design.
The global advertising campaign Cream with Spirit spearheaded the relaunch of the flagging brand in late 2012, “re-capturing the true essence of the brand” by portraying the spirit as a celebration of “modern womanhood”.
Click here for more information about Baileys reinvention.
Drambuie
Drambuie has been undergoing a process of rejuvenation over recent years in an attempt to shake off its associations with the dusty after-dinner drinks trolley and increase its relevance and appeal to a younger audience.
The spiced Scotch whisky liqueur has been given a striking bottle redesign inspired by its surreal Taste of the Extraordinary marketing campaign that attributed to double-digit growth in the UK in 2012.
Click here for more information about Drambuie’s reinvention.
Black Bottle
Burns Stewart Distillers relaunched its Black Bottle blended Scotch in an attempt to channel the brand’s 130-year-old roots.
In September 2013, the distillers unveiled a new expression of its Black Bottle Scotch brand reminiscent of its 1879 recipe and packaging – using more apt black glass as opposed to the brand’s well-known green bottle.
Click here for more information about Black Bottle’s reinvention.
Three Barrels
William Grant & Sons announced its plans to relaunch Three Barrels in April last year, stating its intentions to make the brand the UK’s number one house brandy.
The reinvention included a more modern and premium look for the Three Barrels bottle and a comprehensive, and indeed colourfully animated, marketing campaign.
Click here for more information about Three Barrels’ reinvention.
Ciroc
Although its bottle design has remained largely the same and has consistently been targeted towards young club-hoppers and bar-goers, Ciroc certainly received a brand makeover in the eyes of many when US rapper Diddy jumped on board to market the product, even acquiring a stake for himself.
Leaping from sales of 40,000 cases in 2007 to two million in 2012, Ciroc certainly benefitted from the endorsement of the music mogul. The brand has since cemented its associations with nightlife culture the world over.
Click here for more information about Ciroc’s reinvention.
Glenglassaugh
Since acquiring the Glenglassaugh distillery in March 2013, the BenRiach Distillery Company announced a series of plans to reinvent the Scotch brand, as well reintroduce it to Taiwan, Scandinavia, USA, China, India, Russia, the Middle East, South Africa and South America.
Upon releasing the Glenglassaugh 30 Year Old in August, BenRiach’s MD and master blender Billy Walker said: “It’s our intention to bring this iconic distillery fully back to life by giving it the investment, commitment and care it deserves.”
Click here for more information about Glenglassaugh’s reinvention.
Reyka Vodka
William Grant & Sons has had big plans lined up for Reyka since it acquired the Icelandic vodka brand from The Reformed Spirits Company in 2002, when it was called Polstar Vodka.
Relaunching the brand in 2005 as Reyka Vodka, William Grant unveiled a complete new look for the vodka and continues to pursue new marketing initiatives such as an Icelandic music festival competition and a scheme to take bartenders on foraging expeditions.
Chambord
Brown-Forman has been endeavouring to reinvent its Chambord raspberry liqueur brand over recent years, expressing hopes it could become “as big as Jack Daniels”.
A sponsorship of hit US TV show Revenge on UK TV screens, increased marketing spend, and a greater focus on promoting the brand to bartenders, bolstered volume growth of the liqueur by 80% in volume and 114% in value in 2013.
Click here for more information about Chambord’s reinvention.
De Kuyper
In November 2013 Netherlands-based liqueurs group De Kuyper revealed its first portfolio facelift in 18 years.
The new asymmetrical bottle design features a raised label, long neck – “as bartenders find it very important” – embossed glass and more detailed product descriptions. Each flavour in the range is given its own identifiable colour.
Click here for more information about De Kuyper’s reinvention.
Tamdhu
In May 2013 Ian Macleod Distillers announced plans to reinvent its Tamdhu single malt Scotch exclusively as a Sherried whisky, departing from its ex-Bourbon cask origins.
The Tamdhu branding has also been given a face lift, with a unique bottle shape and label design inspired by the Victorian era. The revamp was warmly received by whisky fans, particularly a limited edition Tamdhu expression released to celebrate the brand’s relaunch.