Brandowner Artisan Spirit Merchants is upbeat about prospects for VDKA 6100, which has just made its duty free debut via a three-month exclusivity with Dufry-owned Nuance at Melbourne Airport.
Artisan Spirit Merchants General Manager Nick Mann said that VDKA 6100 “isn’t just another vodka”. He added: “Vodka is often described as a colourless, odourless, and flavourless alcohol. This is not true of VDKA 6100. The unconventional composition from whey makes it luscious in the mouth with a taste that hints at citrus and white pepper.
“VDKA 6100 has very low levels of methanol [the compound that can make vodka ‘burn’ when consuming], creating an exceptionally smooth finish. The resulting vodka is almost unrivalled in terms of purity, as our base ingredients are so pure.”
As reported, VDKA 6100 (pronounced Vodka sixty-one hundred) is also being unveiled to the travel retail community through an unprecedented week-long launch campaign on The Moodie Davitt Report.com. The campaign includes six quirky, sometimes irreverent advertising videos featuring American actor Robert De Niro, the Oscar-winning star of Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, The Godfather, Once upon a time in America and many others.
The 6100 reference in the brand name pays homage to the distance between the source of the vodka – New Zealand – and the birthplace of the brand in the USA, 6100 miles.
VDKA 6100 is housed in a reverse-tapered, ‘proud-shouldered’ bottle using the clearest glass available. It is wrapped in an off-white heat set textural decal label, sealed with an Italian synthetic cork closure, and finished with a Spanish foil seal.
Mann said: “We were fortunate to work with some extraordinary people on this project, including top New York designer Joe Doucet and Hollywood icon and famed restaurateur, Robert De Niro. Mr De Niro helped us with the design of the packaging, the branding, and the positioning of VDKA 6100. He is keen to see the project succeed.”
VDKA 6100, featuring the tagline ‘The Drink of Choice’, is priced at A$62.99 (US$48) in duty free, in a single unflavoured reference.
Artisan Spirit Merchants (ASM) is a Melbourne-based entrepreneurial, boutique spirits company founded by Julian Moss and Simon Sibia in 2004. The company leapt to prominence by creating a brand called VODKA O, which grew to number three vodka in the highly competitive Australian market.
VDKA 6100 is being handled in duty free by experienced drinks and travel retail executive Greg Phillips, now Hong Kong-based Sales Director Asia for ASM. He was formerly Global Key Account Manager Global Travel Retail for Treasury Wine Estates.
“We are proud to partner with Dufry and launch VDKA 6100 as an exclusive for three months,” Phillips said. “These are exciting times for ASM as we look to expand into new markets and seek new partnerships within travel retail globally.”
The Nuance Group (Dufry) Business Manager Liquor Steven Stothard said, “For us, travel retail is all about offering a unique product mix and an inspirational shopping experience to our customers. We are therefore delighted that ASM have chosen to work with us to launch VDKA 6100 into the travel retail sector.
“Furthermore, we will have the product exclusively for three months in our Melbourne Airport store before it goes into wider distribution, enabling our customers to be the first to discover this exceptional vodka in the airport environment.”
SIX OF THE BEST: THE ROBERT DE NIRO VIDEO CAMPAIGN FOR VDKA 6100 AS FEATURED THROUGHOUT THE WEEK ON THE MOODIE DAVITT REPORT.COM
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30-second versions
