Vodka: intelligent design

When it comes to design, vodka is in a league of its own.

Unlike other spirit categories, vodka brands have been known to rely more heavily on design and brand awareness to entice consumers, rather than the liquid itself. While there has been a notable shift towards emphasising the importance of quality and flavour of vodka in recent years, and flavour is carrying increasing weight within the category, a vodka brand’s ability to communicate its authenticity, personality and status is key.

As such, design has become the primary battleground for vodka, a market that has become known for its often left-field approach to packaging in a bid to stand out from the crowd. In a notoriously competitive and increasingly diverse market, brands are seeking out new ways to use design to break away from the mundane to secure longevity. While shock factor has helped many brands achieve a level of success, some have fallen foul of eye-catching but tacky aesthetics. Others meanwhile have harnessed the power of design to secure iconic status – however, the formula to success is far from clear-cut.
With producers still battling against the false belief that all “vodkas are the same”, design can be crucial in drawing in consumers in the hope that they will become “equally interested in the quality of the liquid”, says Raffaele Berardi, managing director of Fraternity Spirits which owns Boker Vodka.
“In a market that is becoming increasingly competitive, both in the on- and off-trade, the design of a bottle of vodka can mean the difference between success and failure,” says Berardi. “After all, most vodkas are of the neutral variety, selling themselves on their purity and, increasingly, heritage and story which creates the personality of the brand. Thus the design of a bottle has to reflect that personality and be true to the heritage of the brand.”

Power in Provenance

Stolicnaya’s Andean edition elit pristine water series gift pack.

Describing Boker’s own strategy as “unique and daring,” Berardi says the design of any spirit bottle must be “impactful” and sell “a story” to the prospective consumer, but warns that only a quality liquid will secure brand longevity.
“We know that, however strong a brand is, an attractive design can tempt consumers to try a new product,” he continues. “But if the quality of the spirit is not good then it will be a one-time purchase. So you cannot fall down on the liquid in preference of design. To be iconic, a design must really stand out. It must be powerful, unique, but true to the brand DNA always. A vodka can also be a cultural icon by promoting its country of origin”.

Boker’s striking vodka bottle

Indeed, the importance of craft spirits and their provenance has increased ten-fold in recent years with vodka no exception. Driving this trend are Millennials, says Kevin Shaw, founder of drinks design firm Stranger & Stranger, who believes these consumers are seeking out spirits that convey “authenticity”.

“Millennials, having been brought up in a world of social media and instant and ephemeral gratification, look to products that speak of authenticity and craft to satisfy the need for the real and tangible”, he says. “They’re also buying local, which is why we’re getting briefs in for what feels like a craft still in every single town.” Believing that demand for craft spirits will continue, Shaw expects to see more “provenance, personalities and character” in vodka design.

Ilse Wolfe, marketing manager for Stolichnaya’s premium “elit” range, agrees that an awareness of target consumers’ personality is vital. “With elit by Stolichnaya, we want to evoke affinity with a specific target audience, and so a careful selection of materials that have significance to the design must hold true to the product”, says Wolfe, pointing toward its Andean edition elit pristine water series gift pack. Aimed at the global travel retail market and designed by JDO Brand Design and Innovation, the gift pack retails at an eye-watering US$3,000 and comprises Stolichnaya elit’s third and final expression in its pristine range. Presented in hand-cut Glencairn crystal bottle and housed in a sustainably sourced Chilean black cherry wood box lined with leather, much of its value is defined by its packaging.

However this value is supported by an emphasis on authenticity, the liquid having been made using water from a natural spring in the foothills of the Andes in Chile. “The angled, sliding door mechanism and rare jewel, one of only 250 numbered crystal bottles, rare water sourced from Colico Lake and handcrafted bottle cuff and cap certainly raise the bar in what a consumer can come to expect from a luxury vodka”, says Wolfe.

In a nod to its heritage, and validation of its authenticity, design cues inspired by the area’s tribes were incorporated into the bottle with etchings of knots used by the tribes as a means of communication.

“It’s serving to create a point of difference”, says Paul Drake, JDO creative director, of why an emphasis on the authenticity and provenance of a product is so appealing to consumers. “I can take it back to its origins and it gives a brand more credibility, interest and a sense of exclusivity, which allows that premium price,” he explains. “You are experiencing something that other people can’t have and I just think there is something lovely in that provenance and story. As much as it is a drink to be enjoyed, it’s a talking point too.”

While authenticity remains a key watchword in vodka design, in the future Drake sees customisation and personalisation becoming a driving force, if the technology becomes available. “Lots of brands are able to customise something and make it their own”, says Drake. “I think we should expect to see that happening at a premium level. Lots of brands already do it, but I wonder if there is another level beyond that. People don’t just want it to be limited they want it to be exclusive to them. It’s something we would like to do but it’s very difficult to get that level of mechanisation.”

High-tech design

Ciroc’s light-up vodka bottle

Indeed technology, and how to best make use of it in terms of design, looks set to become a focal consideration for vodka brands in the future. A number of brands are already forging into new technological territory, pushing boundaries with increasingly creative alternatives to the conventional clear bottle and label.
“You have brands like Grey Goose, but they are fending off competition from brands that are challenging the status quo by doing things in a different more edgy way”, says Drake. “That’s what makes them more interesting. I think we will see a proliferation of similar brands with ever more creative concepts. It will be interesting to see how the big brands respond to that and how they try to fight back. We will see more guerrilla tactics.”

Belvedere, known for its tall, frosted bottle with an image of Warsaw’s Royal Palace, is already finding ways to combine technology with design. Late last year the brand confirmed a multi-million deal with upcoming James Bond film Spectre – the brand’s biggest global partnership to date. Unveiling the deal, the brand announced the “unprecedented” decision to replace its iconic image of Warsaw House in favour of the M16 headquarters on a limited run of 100 bottles. Its signature blue colouring, meanwhile, was been swapped for the spy agency’s green ink. A second limited edition bottle, a twist on Belvedere’s metallic and illuminated Silver Sabre bottles, is due to go on sale next year in a wider “but selective” market.

Belvedere’s James Bond Sceptre bottle

“It’s the first ever laser-cut metallic bottle”, says Charles Gibb, president of Belvedere. “When its LED is active, the bottle illuminates through the laser cut etchings for an eye-catching product that accentuates the importance of the night and celebration. We pride ourselves in having an iconic and ethereal artful bottle that is uniquely sophisticated, captivating yet contemporary.”
Looking to the future of vodka design, Gibbs believes technology will become increasingly important, adding that the company is due to debut a new product this year that will “truly blow people’s minds”.

Millennial consumers are in part driving this trend for more creative packaging, a demographic that is demanding innovation more than any generation before them, says Gibbs.

“Belvedere Vodka understands its consumers and we are always in conversation with them”, he says. “They’re always plugged into the popular culture and consistently look ahead to start the newest trends first. They are socially connected, open minded and in the know, thus they appreciate the irreverence and boldness of Belvedere.”

While an emphasis on authenticity and provenance looks set to remain, technology appears to be the new frontier in vodka design – trends driven in part by Millennial consumers. In an increasingly competitive market, brands must innovate beyond the boundaries of convention in order to keep ahead of the game, with consumers more discerning and demanding than ever. While a quality liquid is imperative to securing longevity for a brand, design is its partner to success. As Gibbs adds: “Beauty comes from within, but sometimes what’s inside is more appreciated if packaged in a beautiful, cutting-edge and distinctively unique exterior.”