As you probably know Becherovka is one of the most well known and iconic brands in the Czech Republic. The brand has a long and exciting history which is closely tied to that of the country and the culture.

 

Yet by 2012, Becherovka had become a victim of its own success. The brand was so widely available that some of the uniqueness and heritage of the brand had been forgotten. Becherovka was everywhere but people needed to be reminded why the brand was special and perfect for certain occasions.

 

To correct this, Pernod Ricard, owners of Becherovka, re-positioned the brand as the perfect mix of magical ingredients and strong tradition to complement small gatherings of really close friends and family. The project of Becherovka Collectors Editions are to be the first real expression of this movement forward for the brand.

 

For 200 years Becherovka was owned by a single family, the Bechers, before eventually being acquired by Pernod Ricard 15 years ago. The successes and challenges of the family mirror those of the country itself and every person of Czech descent has knowledge of the events that shaped Becher family. It's the way the Bechers turned adversity into a thriving business and national icon that serves as our inspiration for this series.

 

The Becherovka Collectors Edition use prominent members of the Becher family to tell the brand history and the brand story. Using the only publicly available images, caricatures were developed of the first three patriarchs of the Becher family and Becherovka brand, Joseph Becher , Jan Becher and Gustav Becher.

 

It was felt that caricatures were the style most in keeping with the new positioning, being friendly, approachable, and just a bit humorous. As the artist only had our portraits to work with, experts in period dress were called in to consult on what each Becher would be wearing below the neckline.

 

Each of family members brought something to Becherovka, and as our stories are told, so is the story of the brand. On the bottles, each Becher appears with the totems symbolizing his achievements. The caricature style was chosen over more traditional routes as an expression of the approachability of the brand, keeping with the new positioning.

 

But of course, pictures on bottles is only part of the story. The campaign, "Have a drink with the Bechers" (K Becherům na skleničku), consisted of multiple activities across a number of platforms.

In-store, the campaign was prominent visible, using pallette wraps, shelf stoppers, posters, and full sized display units in key modern trade outlets.

Press Releases and a successful press conference resulted in many articles being written about the brand and it's history in the country's leading newspapers and magazines.

For on-trade throughout the country as well as the Becherovka museum in Karlovy Vary, a new line of Collectors Edition merchandise and paraphanalia was created, including bottons, T-shirts, and XXL porcelain cups.

On television, animated versions of the Bechers were used in sponsorship spots for some of the nation's best loved shows.

Also online, a microsite and facebook fan page and app were set up. Here people can see the videos, participate in games and contests, and learn about the Bechers and the Becherovka brand.

 

While pleased with the results so far, it is understood that this 2013 campaign is just the beginning...