Art: One Shot at a Time

Last year Proximo Spirits, Inc., a high-end liquor distributor, launched a campaign for its top shelf Tequila, 1800. The campaign is called “Essential Artist” and started with nine up-and-coming artists designing limited edition bottles for the premium tequila brand. Each artists' style is unique, representing various designs, mediums and perspectives, the artists include Jorge Alderete, Glenn Barr, Jeremy Bacharach, Will Chambers, Chris Dean, Kim Dosa, Josh Ellingson, Hannah Stouffer and Urban Medium. The artwork is part of an $8 million outdoor advertising and promotional campaign. With only 1,800 bottles being produced of each design, the bottles have become great collectibles.

Fans of 1800 can become the next “Essential Artist” by designing their own bottle and entering the online competition to be selected for the 2009 billboard campaign. The prize is $10,000, plus the opportunity to be featured in a national advertising campaign as well as nationwide distribution. Even if you don't win, you can purchase a bottle with your design for $225. “We hope the Essential Artists campaign will encourage other artists to make their dreams a reality,” said Elwyn Gladstone, Head of Marketing for Proximo.

Soup to nuts this campaign is a great piece of marketing. They’ve added value to the product via its packaging. Created integrated advertisements which speak in the authentic language of the upscale hipster demographic. They've engaged the consumers online and given them a way to become part of the brand. And have publications from MAXIM to Juxtapoz buzzing about it in the media. All this and the cap doubles as a shot glass.

Branding for a Kids Palette

I came across Crayons Fruit Drinks recently and thought what a great idea for a kid targeted beverage. Crayons, Inc. has spent three years developing an innovative and refreshing beverages which are made with 33% fewer sugar grams while retaining a nice sweetness level that kids love today. It may be healthier and taste great but no one will ever know because the branding is all wrong.

The more I think about it, the more flawed the thinking behind this brand is. I picture the meeting where they picked the name, “Let’s call it something kids love ... Crayons!” and off they went. I bet they thought kids would be begging their parents for it in the supermarket isles. Problem: little kids can’t read, Worse, the packaging doesn’t payoff the name. Colorful cans, but they do not look like crayons. On their site they use imagery of kids way too old to be lured by the name. Kids in this demo are going to tend towards aspirational marketing ploys like Gatorade's use of athletes like Tiger Woods, Dwayne Wade or Serena Williams, or Vitamin Water using entertainers like 50 Cent and Carrie Underwood.

It comes down it having core appeal. Imagine if Crayons spent their energy (and money) getting licensing rights to the 100 year old Crayola Brand. This would have given them a household brand name and iconic yellow and green packaging design that everyone would recognize whether they are old enough to read or not. With the power of the Crayola name and health conscious recipe, this drink would be able to compete on a whole new level of distribution and sales.

If they truly are chasing the active/athletic tweens, then they need to go back to the brand drawing board. Do some real soul searching create a brand identity that appeals to the target drinker and their specific nutritional needs ... maybe something like “Gatorade Jr.”