Following the success of their partnership in 2010 (the rock crystal cut Absolut bottle shown below), Swedish labels ABSOLUT VODKA and design duo Skogsberg&Smart have teamed up once again to create the next generation of their much publicized new limited edition crystal bottles crafted by centuries old Swedish glassmaker Reijmyre .
Last year's collaboration: above: The first collaboration between Absolut and Skogsberg&Smart yielded the above limited edition crystal decanter crafted by Reijmyre in 2010
The new 2011 hand-blown, hand-cut and hand-engraved bottle design, the 'Pinstripe Bottle', is inspired by the heritage of Savile Row's iconic pinstripe tailoring.
The bottle, which comes in clear crystal or black crystal, is presented in an exclusive handmade treasure chest along with two matching tumblers. Each one is numbered and signed by the master crafter following approval.
Only 800 of the clear crystal bottles and a very limited number of the black crystal bottles -only 10- have been made and are priced at $1500 and $10,000 respectively.
The Black Crystal Pinstripe Bottle: The Crystal Pinstripe Bottle: photos by Pelle Bergström.
The limited edition bottles are presented in the pin-striped, fabric-lined and clad box with two matching crystal tumblers:
The exquisite set is available around the globe at selected airport duty-free stores and luxury retailers.
To some they may sound appealing, others may become nauseous, but yes, Smirnoff Vodka now comes Fluffed and Whipped. Two new dessert-type flavors (coined "confectionary" flavors by the alcohol industry) made to taste like marshmallow and whipped cream.
The New Flavors:
With less percentage alcohol per volume than their classic vodka (30% for the Whipped Cream and 35% for the Marshmallow versus 40% for their classic Red Label), the super sweet flavors go down easy- perhaps a little too easily, raising some concern about the obvious appeal to underage drinkers.
According to Smirnoff's press release "...SMIRNOFF Whipped Cream Flavored Vodka possesses a seductive aroma that compliments its smooth whipped cream taste. SMIRNOFF Fluffed Marshmallow Flavored Vodka has a refreshing and airy scent that is met with the subtle sweetness of confection—qualities that exemplify the innocent side of a favorite indulgent dessert."
Drinkhacker rates and reviews the flavors as following:
Smirnoff Whipped Cream Vodka – "Sure, I’ll buy that. It’s more caramelized sugar than whipped cream. Baked Alaska or crispy creme brulee crust, with a distinct coconut vibe, instead of Reddy Whip. That said, it’s so sweet that any sense of “vodka” all but vanishes into the dessert course here. Add to coffee, hot chocolate, or your insulin shot. B" - drinkhacker
Smirnoff Fluffed Marshmallow Vodka – "Are we done? We are not done. Because while I’ve tried whipped cream vodkas before, here comes the first marshmallow-flavored vodka I’ve ever tried. Fluffed isn’t right: Like the Whipped Cream version, there’s a burnt character here. This is toasted marshmallow, not fluffed marshmallow. I swear you can taste the stick that’s impaling the marshmallow and holding it over the campfire. I think this is a little more complex, and ultimately a bit more interesting — for a crazy girl drink vodka, anyway. B+"- drinkhacker
The Advertising:
The ad campaign, produced by the Smirnoff creative advertising agency, JWT New York, uses Amber Rose as a spokesperson/brand ambassador with a series of print ads and a tv spot shot by David LaChapelle.
In typical LaChapelle fashion, the print ads and tv spot feature the socialite and model in a surreal, sexually suggestive and outrageously colorful world.
The print ads will run in magazines like Instinct, OK, People Style Watch, Rolling Stone and The Star.
The outdoor ads will be a mix of LaChapelle images and pictures of the bottles. There will be billboards, signs in subway stations and bus wraps.
The commercials will run on cable channels like BET, Comedy Central, TBS and VH1 and appear on shows for which more than 70 percent of the viewers are ages 21 and older, according to Alefiyah Sarma, senior brand manager for Diageo in New York.
Creative Credits: Client: Smirnoff Project: "Fluffed & Whipped" TV :30 Agency: J. Walter Thompson, New York CCO: Peter Nicholson ECD: Matt MacDonald/ Jeremy Postaer Art Director: Eric Larkin Director of Content: Sergio Lopez Producers: Carrie Lewis / Andrea Curtin Director of Music: Paul Greco Sound Design: Alan Friedman Audio Post Mix: Andy Green HSI, Los Angeles Director: David LaChappelle Music Supervision/Music License: Thwak! Music UK Additional Music License: Human Worldwide
Belvedere Vodka has released a specially packaged limited edition of their Belvedere Pure in a metallic Buche de Noel for Christmas 2011. (For those who don't know, a Bûche de Noel is a Yule Log and the name of a holiday dessert made to look like a log)
«It Bûche» Belvedere has an engraved silver chromed metal sleeve embossed with a holly leaf which slides over a real birch log hollowed out to hold a 70cl bottle of their premium vodka.
Presented on an acrylic base, the hollowed out log can serve as an ice holder once the bottle is removed.
Limited to 25. Available in France only, but can be purchased online at Colette. Buy it here
The Lonely Island is that hilarious musical trio consisting of Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer. The emmy-winning songwriters and performers have been making videos together since 2000 and have appeared on The Emmys and in many SNL digital shorts.
Known to bring slap-stick comedy and pizzazz to any performance, the guys have embarked on their first role as Creative Directors behind the new Swedish vodka – RÖKK. The trio is responsible for the brand’s consumer engagement, which includes creating digital material to market the brand and help introduce RÖKK, the premium priced, freeze filtered vodka.
Below are the videos they've created for the RÖKK Vodka brand.
THE DREAM:
THE DIRECTOR'S CUT:
BEHIND THE SCENES OF "EVERYBODY LIKES ME":
About RÖKK Vodka:
THE RÖKK RUNESTONE (Swedish: Rökstenen) is the most famous runestone in Sweden, featuring the longest known runic inscription. It is considered the first piece of written Swedish Literature and therefore marks the beginning of recorded history in Sweden.
PURE SWEDISH SPRING WATER RÖKK is made with clean water from glacial sources in Kalby, Sweden - the picturesque countryside five hours west of Stockholm. The spring is adjacent to the distillery and is renowned for its ultra-crisp, clean water.
FREEZE FILTRATION After distillation, RÖKK Vodka is brought to sub-zero temperatures and then filtered through frozen charcoal to remove impurities that cannot be removed using traditional filtration processes.
Freeze Filtration raises the PH levels, reducing acidity, and giving RÖKK its unmistakable smoothness. (RÖKK is the only premium Nordic vodka that is freeze-filtered for exceptional smoothness.)
It seems that Crystal Head Vodka is no longer the spookiest premium vodka on the shelves. Launched last October by the Frozen Ghost Distilling Company, Frozen Ghost Vodka is a premium vodka inspired by a ghost story of a character named Tobias. His image is on the unique bottle and the story below tells you of his life and afterlife.
The Legend of the Frozen Ghost
This is a story of people whose names are lost to time, set in a location which is a sworn secret, for reasons that will become clear at the end of this tale.
Generations ago, a family in Western Canada had a proud but small farm. They raised crops and livestock so plentifully, they outproduced all the other farms in the colony. Soon, people began to realize that the spring that watered their land was the sweetest and purest in the area and was thought to be the source of their success.
A jealous neighbor schemed to divert their water to his own property. Stealing onto their land one bitterly cold winter night, he was confronted by the farm’s owner, known only as Tobias. The neighbor struck him with his shovel, knocking him unconscious into a pond near the mouth of the spring. The water thief completed his work, diverting some of the spring’s output to his property by means of the underground channel he dug.
Tobias’s body was later discovered in the ice that froze the pond deep on that frigid winter night.
No one knew how he died. The secret was safe until the neighbor began to report a strange presence of Tobias that haunted his every step. A presence that ultimately drove him mad. He confessed everything as he was driven in a prison cart to the colony’s sanitarium.
The farm has changed hands many times over the centuries, and now that same spring’s water is used to produce Frozen Ghost Vodka. That pure water gives Frozen Ghost its unparalleled smooth, crisp character, even before it is distilled six times for the ultimate purity.
We won’t reveal the spring’s location for your own protection. For on the rare occasions that a visitor has attempted to approach the site, an undeniable chill overtakes the stranger, along with a dark foreboding that a more dangerous fate quickly approaches. It is said that Tobias is still keeping watch over his spring.
So don’t let your curiosity overtake you and tempt you to search for the water’s source. Just be satisfied that you can raise a glass to the one who is watching over the pure taste of Frozen Ghost Vodka, the supernatural super-premium.
The commercial running in theaters:
The Bottle:
Credits: Creative Director: Richard Graves ; Designer/Art Director: Chuck Paris ; Black and white photos: Butch Hale, Dallas, Texas ; Client: Frozen Ghost Distilling Company
The Marketing:
Dallas agency Levenson & Hill invented the legend based on the life—and afterlife—of a character named Tobias. Tobias is featured uniquely on every Frozen Ghost bottle, which was designed by Levenson & Hill and cast by Dekorglass of Dzialdowo, Poland. The bottles are manufactured by Bruni Glass of Milan, Italy.
The marketing launch for Frozen Ghost will include cinema (a still of which is shown above) and other mass advertising, web films, truck paints, promotions and a website for consumers of legal drinking age. The website features a menu of drink recipes, including Frozen Ghost's signature cocktail, "Apparition Chill."
"We believe that we have developed a narrative that will leave consumers haunted by a mystery that only Frozen Ghost Vodka can solve," said Andy Harmon, Chief Brand Officer of Levenson & Hill. "To trigger the imagination of consumers, we plan to unleash the ghost of Tobias, who is key to sparking consideration of Frozen Ghost Vodka. That begins with a top quality liquid and a striking on-shelf presence and is paid off with a campaign that delivers on the brand's ’supernatural-super-premium’ position."
The marketing launch for Frozen Ghost includes outdoor, featuring the phrase "Enjoy it with all 6 senses." POS will grab consumer attention with the phrase, "Grab an extra bottle. This stuff disappears fast." Delivery trucks will be emblazoned with an image of the eye-catching bottle and the phrase, "The supernatural super-premium."
