The Bailey Group Has Stimulating
Brand Strategy for p.i.n.k. Spirits

The p.i.n.k. brand is an ambitious design and branding enterprise that aims to bring six spirits to market under a single brand name. The first product out of the box is p.i.n.k. vodka, and soon tequila, rum, gin, white whisky, and sake will follow. David Mandell, president and CEO of The p.i.n.k. Spirits Company, trusted the complete branding and marketing campaign to The Bailey Group, a Philadelphia-area brand consultancy.

p.i.n.k. vodka is the first 80-proof ultra-premium vodka infused with caffeine and guarana, with no added flavor, sugar, color, or carbohydrates. Though the meaning of the acronym name is a secret, it is not a secret that the vodka is made exclusively from wheat in Holland and distilled five times. The formulation with flavorless caffeine and guarana does not disrupt the vodka's quality or taste.

Starting from scratch

With a wide-open canvas, the first design goal was to make sure the package functioned as a billboard in bars, at retail, in ads, and on actual billboards. Stephen Perry, group design director at The Bailey Group, explains how the firm relished the opportunity to discover the brand values and brand essence of a completely new approach to a brand. "When we started this project, it was nothing more than an idea," Perry says. "We started with the packaging."

In developing a package design, branding, and marketing plan, The Bailey Group conducted extensive consumer research that found premium and ultra-premium vodkas were growing in a large, diverse, and upscale consumer base that is looking for new products that can pick them up and make them feel good. Research also showed this consumer group was likely to follow the lead of celebrities and other high-profile influencers when making product choices.

The decision was made to design a bottle that would maintain a consistent brand look across all of the spirits without color-coding for differentiation—a unique approach to a revolutionary new segment within the spirits category. Perry explains that the packaging, with a pink glow that comes through the bottle, represents the "fashionable energy and inherent intensity" in the product. And the marketing campaign, according to The Bailey Group, suggests that the p.i.n.k. experience will "heighten your sense of spirit."

A premium appeal

The Bailey Group worked with Saxco-Demptos Inc. and Saga-Dacor to develop the bottle, executed by Saverglass in France. The bottle has a translucent white ceramic coating that creates a frosted look, and the back panel is imprinted with a vibrant pink organic ink that fades into the frosted white coating. On the front, the "p.i.n.k." logo is knocked out to the clear glass to finish off the uniquely upscale—almost cosmetic—impression.

"Our challenge was to brand and communicate the p.i.n.k. experience," says Jamie Gailewicz, group account director at The Bailey Group. "The p.i.n.k. brand speaks to consumers with a message that it doesn't matter if you are partying late into the night or relaxing with friends."

The Bailey Group also developed a viral marketing campaign, magazine and outdoor advertising, website design, point-of-sale promotions, and PR outreach. Perry believes the p.i.n.k. bottle design and brand strategy have a very wide reach. "It doesn't focus on one segment or another," Perry maintains.