Grey Goose challenges ‘dumbed down’ vodka

Bacardi is seeking to “re-energise” Grey Goose vodka with the launch of the Live Victoriously global platform, which will become the brand’s long-term marketing drive.

Grey Goose’s new Live Victoriously platform marks a major change for the brand

Speaking to The Spirits Business late last year Grey Goose’s chief marketing officer, Lee Applbaum, said Bacardi was planning a “brand reset” for Grey Goose, with the aim of improving its “emotional connectivity” with consumers.

Applbaum led the creative overhaul of Grey Goose, which has resulted in the launch of a completely new set of marketing assets under the Live Victoriously platform.

The platform, which according to Applbaum will remain in place “for the next 10 years”, is centred on the idea of celebrating both big and small moments.

According to the marketing exec, Grey Goose is also aiming to revitalise the wider vodka category, which he said has been “dumbed down”.

“‘Good enough’ has become a norm in the category, which has been dumbed down through price compression and clever, but often misleading marketing,” he argued.

“Grey Goose is a luxury product, but this positioning has also impaired our ability to fully connect with consumers; more often, they reserve Grey Goose for very special occasions.

“Live Victoriously seeks to change this perception and encourage consumers to recognise that they are the special occasion and that every moment is an opportunity to create a lifelong memory.”

Applbaum also noted that while consumers today “value product quality and brand transparency” their purchase behaviour “suggests a willingness to compromise on both”.

The Live Victoriously platform will be supported by a suite of creative assets and will aim to make Grey Goose “more accessible” and “relatable”. Speaking to SB, Applbaum said Grey Goose had in the past positioned itself “too narrowly as made for those big celebratory moments”.

Videos created to support the platform show characters “fully committing to unexpected moments of celebration” and will air throughout late April and May on Sky, 4OD and Amazon.

Grey Goose will also overhaul its global digital and social channels, “transforming” www.greygoose.com into an “immersive, interactive website”. The brand has also entered into an exclusive media partnership with The Guardian in the UK.

The brand worked with MullenLowe US and Publicis Sapient on the launch of Live Victoriously.

For more information, read SB‘s full interview with Lee Applbaum in the April 2019 edition of The Spirits Business magazine, out now.