How Mongolian rap gave this Cambodian gin brand its big break

A single bottled cocktail served at a wedding led to the biggest order Cambodian gin brand Seekers has ever received. And then, a hip-hop track. Nimmi Malhotra reports.

Cambodia and Mongolia are in the furthest recesses of the Asian marketing strategy for most brands. Still, the two countries are doing boisterous business with each other, thanks to one wedding and a boozy wedding favour: Seekers Spirits RTD cocktail Flying Bong.

Seekers Spirits, founded by husband-and-wife team Marco Julia Eggert and Tania Unsworth, is a craft spirits company based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The sustainable brand uses native botanicals like Khmer basil, Battambang green oranges and Asian lime leaf sourced from the Mekong Delta for its core gin products. Today, its gin portfolio – which includes Mekong Dry Gin and the colour-changing blue pea Jason Kong gin – is one of Cambodia’s top five gin brands in the country, ranking among the likes of Diageo’s Gordon’s and Bacardi’s Bombay Sapphire.

In 2022, the brand was asked to supply 1,000 bottles of an RTD cocktail for a power wedding of a Cambodian society couple. The bespoke bottle of the groom’s favourite cocktail, the Flying Bong, (Bong is the colloquial word for mate) caught the attention of Suvd Tamir, the bride’s friend. Within the year, Tamir was Seekers’ sole importer in Mongolia.

“At the time, Suvd already had a well-established import business, Lavai Trade, but did not have an alcohol license,” recalls Unsworth. “She loved our brand story and felt that Seekers would work well in Mongolia.”

It took Tamir a year to secure an alcohol license and place her first order of 11,000 bottles of Seekers Spirits, including Jason Kong gin.

Mongolia is an emerging market in central Asia, with most of its population living in and around the capital of Ulaanbaatar. According to Statista, Mongolia’s alcoholic drinks market is valued at US$482.2m in 2024, with spirits claiming 42% of the pie. In comparison, the Singapore market is US$3.0 billion.

But the story doesn’t end there. To establish in the new market, the Seekers team made several trips to Ulaanbaatar to conduct trade masterclasses and guest shifts, culminating in a launch party in October 2023, held at the Shangri-la Hotel’s Vault Club. As Unsworth recounts, the event attracted the movers and shakers of Mongolian society, including two local rap artists, Young Mo’G and Choidog. Hip hop, as she learnt, is massive in Mongolia.

“These are big artists in Mongolia, and Choidog performed at the launch party for the brand. They loved Jason Kong, and in fact, it was their idea to write a single about it,” she said.

The artists collaborated with Seekers and another known artist from Thailand, OG Bobby, to unite Cambodian and Mongolian culture through a catchy hip hop number, ‘Kong’. The track was released three weeks ago and has garnered almost 600,000 views.

Produced by Suvd Tamir, ‘Kong’ is sung in Mongolian and English and celebrates local artistry and culture, with flashes of Genghis Khan-style traditional warrior outfits and Jason Kong gin appearing throughout the slickly-edited video.

A specialist in creative and indirect marketing, Tamir also secured exclusive rights to distribute Jason Kong gin to the VIP lounges at the artists’ upcoming sold-out concerts. Such collaborations usually require an investment of US$10,000.

“Artists and influencers are more interested in meaningful collaborations than just standard fees,” Tamir says. “This success has also generated interest from other Mongolian artists eager to work with our brand, opening doors for future partnerships, influencer marketing, and direct sales at events and concerts.”

Unsworth hopes that one day, Cambodia’s hottest rap artist, Vannda, might collaborate with Seekers. She’s well aware he might be swamped after his recent performance at the Paris Olympics closing ceremony. For now, Jason Kong’s blue gin is running out, and they need to make new batches.

Watch the music video for hip hop song ‘Kong’ here:

Related news

Don Londres Tequila launches in the UK

Stoli Group’s US arm files for bankruptcy

US alcohol industry set for slow recovery after 'reset year' in 2023