Branding specialists Brandhouse have been working with De
Kuyper to give its premium liqueur, Mandarine Napoleon, a refreshed identity.
Mandarine Napoleon has a rich heritage and is said to have
been created for and enjoyed by Napoleon Bonaparte himself. Brandhouse’s brief
was to help Mandarine Napoleon tell its story more effectively and to connect
with consumers on a higher emotional level by enhancing its historical
Napoleonic identity and positioning it as a truly premium product.
Dave Beard, creative director at Brandhouse said; “It’s not
every day that you come across a brand that has such an interesting back story
and pedigree. This is a genuine piece of history, a drink that was invented by
Napoleon’s doctor and favoured by the great man himself. Our challenge was to bring this to life
and make it relevant.”
Experts were consulted to provide specific knowledge. Sean
McKnight, a Sandhurst Napoleonic strategy expert, and J. David Markham from the
International Napoleonic Society helped identify some compelling insights that
would highlight the Napoleon connections and focus on its true heritage.
The brand refresh has reinforced the strong visual links
with Napoleon to put him back at the heart of the brand. The use of the bee
motif was introduced; a symbol that Napoleon had adopted as it represented the
idea of industry and a well-ordered society. It also appeared as an embroidered
motif on his coronation robes and the drapes around his throne.
Historical anecdote has it that when Napoleon took up
residence in the Tuileries Palace he decided to have the curtains – with their
embroidered fleur-de-lis - turned upside down. The inverted symbol resembled a
bee and from then on it became the emblem of Napoleon.
Work was also done to ‘premiumise’ the brand image so that
it matched the quality of the product, which is still made by traditional
methods of macerating mandarin skins in alcohol. The look of the screw cap has
been redesigned and the label is now a premium uncoated paper. The ribbon has
been also addressed, with an embroidered replacement. The eau de nil colour was
brought back, having been the original colour of the brand.
Albert de Heer, International Marketing Manager for De
Kuyper said, “Throughout the history of branding, many products have set out to
align themselves with historical figures and places in an attempt at projecting
authenticity. The rebranding of Mandarine Napoleon required subtlety and
finesse in order to elevate what is already an authentic product. We think that
the Emperor would approve!”
The new Mandarine Napoleon is distributed by Cellar Trends.
Post new comment