Shanghai White

Overview

Diageo's ambition was to introduce the world's first premium Asian vodka. Targeted to discerning, cosmopolitan, and adventurous consumers, Shanghai White was an innovation in vodka. The brand was unique because it celebrated Western style and progress while maintaining Chinese authenticity and heritage. Shanghai White could own this position because at the heart of this spirit was over 600 years of Chinese distilling traditions and modern techniques. The plan was to introduce Shanghai White to the Asian market first, then establish it as a global luxury brand in trendsetter cities across the globe.

Challenge

In Asia, brown spirits dominate, so introducing a vodka presented a challenge. To communicate Shanghai White's distinct qualities and appeal to consumers eager to embrace elements of different cultures, our strategy was to create a comprehensive brand story emphasizing the East-West confluence. We started with a unique and strategic brand narrative set in 1930s Shanghai. This era proved a richly evocative setting to express the brand's values and aspirations-to create a vodka that transported our consumers to a world of exotic glamour. We called this theme "Shanghai noir," and applied it to a comprehensive brand look and feel.

Solution

Our theme inspired an identity, stunning brand book, brand ambassador's kit, and custom-named signature cocktails. We created an art deco duty-free display and 1930s qipao costumes to be worn for cocktail tastings, and also produced a cinematic brand movie. The brand voice was used consistently across all touchpoints, including advertising and POS materials. The brand launch in Hong Kong focused on our theme and brought the brand story to life. In less than six months after it launched in May 2009, Shanghai White captured a significant share of Hong Kong's premium vodka market-far surpassing Diageo's expectations. In 2010 we were awarded Best Innovation Agency in Diageo's Marketing Brilliance Awards for our Shanghai White work.