Here’s a brand with bold ambition and a clear vision: to become the world’s first global brand with local roots. And arguably, this is what it has achieved.
At a time when the term ‘craft’ immediately caused people to switch off, Our/Vodka came as a breath of fresh air, setting up shop in a specially built distillery in the Kreuzberg district of Berlin (the very heart of the arty and the anarchic in the city). Soon after Seattle, Detroit, Amsterdam and London all had their own version of the shop, with many others in the pipeline.
Partly distilled, blended and hand-bottled in micro-distilleries, the vodka is made by local experts from a secret recipe shared by all the cities, yet with local ingredients. Truthful to where it’s from, yet with global ambition.
Our/Vodka is a cultural experiment, a collection of unique personalities sharing the same genes. By reflecting the local character of the cities, the brand is able to connect with consumers on a subconscious level by relating to their culture and intrinsic beliefs. And this is a bond that not many global brands can confidently claim they have achieved.
Aesthetically, the brand is as truthful as one could get. Nothing is left to chance. From bottle to micro-distillery, there’s an element of genuine independence with real grassroots that this brand oozes. Liberation from the norm of ‘craft’ as known up until today. Charismatic behaviour reimagined.
By Alina Pirvu, Creative Planner, jkr London
