Smirnoff Raises the Bar for Premium Spirits with Bold New Packaging by Landor Associates

The world's leading premium vodka Smirnoff is looking sharp and talking big with distinctive new packaging, designed to reinforce its premium status and quality. The packaging was designed by a global team from leading branding and design consultancy Landor Associates' New York and London offices, following a pitch held in September 2001.

The world's leading premium vodka Smirnoff is looking sharp and talking big with distinctive new packaging, designed to reinforce its premium status and quality. The packaging was designed by a global team from leading branding and design consultancy Landor Associates' New York and London offices, following a pitch held in September 2001. The sleek new bottle, recently unveiled as part of a global re-launch, will be available in Great Britain from March 2004, and is part of a £250m investment that is being made in the brand globally over the coming year. "Smirnoff is the world's number one premium vodka brand, and it's important for us to communicate that in everything we do," explains Philip Gladman, Marketing Director for Smirnoff, Diageo Great Britain. "World class brands continually assess their appeal, and we are delighted with the results of this new updated look for Smirnoff. The newly designed bottle has researched well and people see it as reflective of ‘a stylish brand' and ‘a quality vodka,' both key attributes of Smirnoff" The new Smirnoff packaging incorporates a tapered, embossed glass bottle and sharp, clean red and silver logo, reflective of both the brand's Russian heritage and modern success. At the centre of the logo design is a new double-headed eagle icon, which draws its inspiration from Imperial Russian Court awards bestowed upon the brand in the late 1880s. "Smirnoff is the vodka of choice among adults whether they are drinking it with cola, juice or in cocktails," says Gladman. "As the category leader, we strive to set the bar for relevance and consumer appeal, and with our new packaging and marketing plans, we believe we are doing that in a very powerful way" The new Smirnoff look debuts at a time when consumers are more interested than ever in packaging and superior quality. Julia Beardwood , Executive Director at Landor, says: "One of the best times to consider a change is when business is strong, so you can focus significant time and resources on a re-launch. FedEx, Pizza Hut and Walkers crisps are all examples of successful brands that have tweaked their images to stay relevant at a time when consumers are savvy enough to expect a modern presentation and unflagging quality from their favourite brands" Diageo Great Britain will reinforce the Smirnoff message through a comprehensive marketing support plan for the new packaging – details of which will be available nearer the launch date next year.