Draco Gin’s “out of the ordinary” digital launch for Néroli sees success thanks to appealing O-I bottle design.
Draco Gin, a premium distillery based in São Paulo, Brazil, launched a new Néroli - a lighter, refreshing recipe featuring lemon grass, ginger and orange leaf oil, in bottles designed and produced in partnership with O-I Glass.
The COVID-19 pandemic did not stop the Campinas-based distillery from launching their new label. In order to respect social distancing recommendations, Draco’s founder Rodrigo Marcusso got creative. He decided to debut the new product entirely online, without a tasting event, attracting clients exclusively from digital influencers and social media campaigns.
The strategy was possible thanks to one of Néroli’s most attractive features: the visual appeal of its bottle and packaging, designed by O-I. The quality of the glass and its square shape were the main reasons why Draco selected O-I as their packaging partner.
“The first bottle we made for Draco was also from the Covet line, called Grandeur. Now we changed it to the Pinch Grandeur. Despite the similarities to the previous design, the new [bottle] has smoother lines, adding value to the product,” says Nádia Guimarães, responsible for the premium pieces of the Covet line at O-I in Brazil.
Draco’s Marcusso explains that the modern design of the current bottle with its curvy lines and larger neck, which allows enhanced flow while pouring the product, appeals to consumers while still maintaining Draco’s trademark square shape.
“Most of today's brands, both in Brazil and in other countries, usually use cylindrical bottles for gin. Our brand stands with the slogan ‘get out of the ordinary’, so we decided to avoid the current standards for packaging.”
Draco Gin Néroli has seen a positive response in the market, even without brick-and-mortar stores, which are currently closed due to the pandemic. In fact, almost 90% of Draco's consumers are new clients connecting to the brand’s e-commerce through social media efforts.
“We know that first-time buyers usually go with the product’s looks. Therefore, we used this bottle design to show our credibility and the quality of our product. To that, we added the specialized influencers consuming it and attesting the gin’s excellence. It worked!" says Marcusso.
Marcusso shares that feedback has been really positive and celebrates the chosen strategy for the production chain.
In response to the success of the launch, Draco Gin developed a social responsibility program, Draco Solidário. The program, will donate 10% of all Draco Néroli sales made through online channels to buy hygiene products for people living in social vulnerability in Brazil.
“The response to the Néroli was exactly our intention while developing every piece at O-I: create packaging that helps our clients in telling the history of their brand, showing their personality and credibility to the consumers,” says Guimarães.