Introduce a virtually unknown premium Polish vodka brand in a US market flooded with more than 300 competitors. Oh, and it’s point of difference is Bison Grass. Bison what? Exactly.
ZU (short for Zubrowka) had a rich history in its native Poland, where it has been enjoyed for over 600 years. And discerning drinkers and mixologists all over the world were discovering its award-winning taste and versatility. We knew the US was a bigger challenge, and our budget was small, so we introduced the brand to mixologists and experienced vodka drinkers sip by sip, first by focusing on the flavor of the grass and its ability to bring cocktails to life, then by telling ZU's unique heritage story. The strategy paid off, so it was time to take ZU to the masses. We produced two videos, QR Coded point-of-sale, on premise displays and a new website to drive home the message that the transformative bison grass flavor of ZU "shakes up everything."
The “ZU Shakes Up Everything” campaign was launched in nine US markets in July 2011 and was immediately embraced by bartenders and brand ambassadors. One of the videos on the new website has been viewed over 186,000 times, with more than nineteen thousand views occurring on a single day. Additionally, the new site was awarded Best of Bay at the 2012 Tampa ADDY® Awards.
