Smirnoff Recipe 21
Situation: It was 2001 and Smirnoff was the largest brand in the world, but Smirnoff was still facing many challengers all across the globe. After decades of taking cost out of the packaging Smirnoff could not compete for the next generation of consumers.
Solution: Above all, we recommended that Smirnoff required a bespoke bottle structure, rather than a standard round bottle. Inspired by a Tzarist Russian soldier standing at attention in full regalia we created an iconic new bottle. Its tall, broad shoulders spoke of Smirnoff's strength as a brand. Tapering down to a firm base created something more elegant and modern.
Crafting is everything. Each element was considered, we created a suite of iconography (especially the Smirnoff eagle icon) for Smirnoff to use both in TV advertising and for all BTL events that Smirnoff is famous for from New York to London, Moscow to Shanghai, Rio de Janeiro to South Africa. As brand stewards, we painstakingly planned the brand's architecture from the wildly successful Smirnoff flavors, to Smirnoff 100, Pre-Mix cocktail and other Innovations to gifting...Smirnoff went from a brand all over the map, to a global cohesive brand, always speaking with the same voice and connecting cultures far and wide.
Result: Within a handful of years, Smirnoff grew from 16 to 36 million cases worldwide.
Note: We worked on Smirnoff while employed at Landor.