People downunder used to think of 42Below as the funny vodka (reads the blurb from Colenso) … The naughty, irreverent vodka that does and says what no one else would. But what few people realised is that this home-grown vodka also happens to be the purest on the planet, because it’s made in clean, green, super pure New Zealand.
But drinkers had forgotten, and bartenders no longer had a reason to pour it. We had to give them a reason. So, we gave 42Below a new mission. A mission to keep the planet pure, to keep the vodka pure.
As the first major purity initiative, 42Below are starting with the drinkers and tackling the not-so-critical issue of cocktail-garnish-waste, as only they could.
To do that, they’re making the purest, cleanest thing there is; soap. But not just any soap. 42Below Recycled Cocktail Lemons Eco Soap. A soap made from the used lemon at the bottom of customers’ drinks. The perfect vehicle to tell 42BELOW’s story at the place that matters most; in the bar.
Now, instead of throwing away all the leftover bits of lemon, bartenders collect them, and together with the Botanical Distillery, they’re distilled (coincidentally, it’s much the same as distilling vodka), then turned into a 100% pure, eco-friendly hand soap.
The soap is then returned back to the bars – bottles for bathrooms and sachets free with every drink, each reminding drinkers (and bar staff) of how super pure the vodka is, with a healthy dose of 42Below cheek. So, no matter what drinkers are drinking, they’ve got 42Below in their hands – many for the first time in years.
“The initiative is supported with content, social, PR, in-bar media and targeted outdoor, ensuring drinkers know the story long before they get to the drinks list.”
The soap initiative is supported with content, social, PR, in bar media and targeted outdoor, ensuring drinkers know the story long before they get to the drinks list. And they do know about it – lots of them. So far, over 43 million drinkers have been reached through PR and social alone.
Says Colenso BBDO’s Dave Brady: “It seems like a ridiculous thing to recycle leftover bits of lemon from people’s drinks, and it is. But that’s also the genius. The soap opens the door for 42BELOW to tell its purity story at the bar in a 42Below way, and creates a conversation with the bar staff where there was none. If we can give them a reason to recommend our vodka over the rest, we’ve won half the battle.”
Says Jill, head distiller at the Botanical Distillery: “This is the first time we’ve distilled from second-hand fruit, or things people have put in their mouths. But the process is essentially the same, and when we’re done, we’ve created a completely sterile, slightly alcoholic lemon extract.”
30,000 units in Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland
To date, 42Below has made close to 30,000 units of eco soap with recycled lemon bits from bars across Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland. And so far, the results are proving overwhelmingly positive, with a 20% lift in bars sales.
In fact, in many bars, 42Below is moving more product than ever before, and have re-established the brand in the minds of drinkers (and bar-staff) who had all but forgotten what it stood for. But, it’s been moved forward. It was the funny vodka. Now, it’s the funny, pure vodka.
About 42Below
New Zealand is positioned on the 42nd parallel (hence the name) which conveniently sets the benchmark for air purity worldwide and makes for the perfect place to create super pure vodka. Each batch is distilled four times for a higher level of purity and is then filtered a ridiculous 35 times with charcoal filters, to give it a round, smooth character – like the taste equivalent of a bowling ball. A really really clean one that tastes delicious. The 42Below® brand is part of the portfolio of Bacardi Limited, headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited. 42Below. Keeping our planet pure to keep our vodka pure.
- Watch the case study film below
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