SMIRNOFF X1

SPICY TAMARIND INFUSED VODKA • SPICY TAMARIND INFUSED VODKA • SPICY TAMARIND INFUSED VODKA • SPICY TAMARIND INFUSED VODKA • SPICY TAMARIND INFUSED VODKA • SPICY TAMARIND INFUSED VODKA • SPICY TAMARIND INFUSED VODKA •

Bringing the Day of the Dead to Life

Limited Editions are a powerful way to engage with new markets. It’s the best of both worlds: the credibility of a global brand combined with the freedom to do something different. Our challenge with Smirnoff Spicy Tamarind vodka was to reach the local market at the Day of the Dead celebrations.

We already knew the flavour chimed with the palate of young Mexicans, but the story wasn’t connecting. It needed a rethink.

With the Day of the Dead now a visual cliché globally, we needed an authentic and original take. We decided to dig deep into the heritage, and see if we could come up with a contemporary twist. Our starting point was to research the celebration, up-close and personal in Mexico, absorbing as much as we could of the traditions and visual culture.

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The inspiration came from the ‘Ofrenda’, an altar-like creation built by families as monuments to the dead. Here we found our creative concept: ‘the beautifully chaotic’. Back in the studio, we playfully combined image-making processes – from physical craft to digital – to create a bespoke montage of intricate elements.

This project was never just about the bottle. Limited editions like this are about developing an own-able visual language, a toolkit of assets that can come to life through all channels. We delivered cohesive artwork for social media, outdoor media, on-trade activation and experiential marketing.

The team took care to translate the central concept for every touchpoint. That meant experimenting with illuminated inks to maximise impact in nightclubs and bars, and bringing the assets to life in animations.

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Younger Mexicans embraced the product as part of the celebration. All of the cases sold out before the festival finished. The brand saw a 400% increase in volume sold into trade and was able to successfully launch in new markets.

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Pentawards 2020
DesignWeek Awards 2020
SF Spirits Packaging Awards 2020

“An exciting new development for Smirnoff X1, taking the long-established ritual of the Mexican Ofrenda, and reimagining it for the next generation.”

Packaging of the World

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SOLSOLSOLSOLSOL SOLSOLSOLSOLSOL SOLSOLSOLSOLSOL SOLSOL

Putting the sun at the heart of Sol Putting the sun at the heart of Sol Putting the sun at the heart of Sol Putting the sun at the heart of Sol Putting the sun at the heart of Sol Putting the sun at the heart of Sol

SOL

Putting the sun at the heart of Sol.

The new design launched globally, reconnecting Sol with its heritage and improving the presence of the brand on shelf. Brand guidelines were created to inform applications across all channels.

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SMIRNOFF X1

Bringing the Day of the Dead to Life

OUR BLENDED EXPERTISE

FEATURED RESULTS