A Viagra-Laced Beer Is Launched To Toast The Upcoming Nuptials Of William & Kate

Bottled virility for the Monarchy. Raise a glass, and a body part, to the soon to be wed Royal Couple with this Viagra-laced beer from Brew Dog. The Royal Virility Performance is a limited edition artisanal brew made with various well-known aphrodisiacs in honor of Prince William's upcoming nuptials to Kate Middleton.




According to the specially commissioned label, the Royal Virility Performance contains Pfizer's magic blue pill (aka Viagra), chocolate, Horny Goat Weed and ‘a healthy dose of sarcasm’. The beer is a 7.5% ABV India Pale Ale and has been brewed at BrewDog’s brewery in Fraserburgh.



With this beer, the folks at Brew Dog wanted to take the wheels off the royal wedding bandwagon being jumped on by dozens of breweries; The Royal Virility Performance is said to be the perfect antidote to all the hype. Brew Dog claims "A beer should be brewed with a purpose, not just because some toffs are getting married, so we created something at our brewery that will undermine those special edition beers and other assorted seaside tat, whilst at the same time actually give the happy couple something extra on their big day."



James Watt, Head of Stuff at BrewDog commented:
“We put a bottle in a jiffy bag marked ‘Prince Willy, Buckingham Palace’. We sent it by Royal Mail as we presume they are most likely to know where he lives. As the bottle says, this is about consummation, not commemoration, so we hope he gets it.”




*The beer will be shipped on the 28th of April* Better snap some up, they only have 1,000 bottles available! Buy it here.

Introducing VOD-K, Caramel & Truffle Flavored Premium Vodka From Paris.

VOD-K, the subtle combination of pure grain vodka, caramel and black truffles is a new premium vodka from Paris-based Fryd Food & Drink produced and bottled in Cognac in the Charente, the birthplace of expertise and tradition in quality spirits and liqueurs.



An exceptional vodka, VOD-K differs from its sister premium pure grain through the subtle aroma of truffles and caramel it releases every sip. This exclusive alliance gives contrasting notes, leaving the palate an impression of strength and softness.



Fryd Food & Drink tapped agency QSLD Paris to brand the new premium vodka. The agency worked on the name research, the graphic identity and the package design.

Frydlender Lawrence is a lover of terroir and flavors forgotten. A true epicurean, he has always advocated a return to the earth and the real. After more than 20 years in the world of cosmetics and traveling the world, he created Fryd Food & Drink. As a nod to the founder, VOD-K is nestled in a crystal bottle much like a vial of perfume. Composed mainly of crystal glass, it features a thick base which supports pattern etched glass that results in a brushed metal nose with a plastic insert designed much like perfume.




"I wanted to reconsider, premiumize and modernize the distillery sample bottle. The bottle of Vod-k is cylinder-shaped heavy and weighted to underline its premium character. This character is highlightened by the mat finishing of its Brown anodized metal cap. The bottom of the bottle is truffle shaped. The concept of Vod-k has been thought from the beginning to the end to create a consistent universe. Vod-k is a modern interpretation of the « demijohn ». Unique by its shape and its graphic design, Vod-k is also a decorative object. Thought to be exhibited, no detail has been left to chance." Denis Boudard of QSLD says.



The name « vod-k » is phonetical and looks like an sms word. A universal name, easy to remember, to understand and pronounce all over the world.



Specializing in truffle based fine foods, Fryd Food & Drink has previously trusted QSLD Paris with the design and graphic identity of their own logotype and QSLD worked on the graphic and volume design of many of their products (e.g.Olive oil, truffle flavoured salt and pasta).

Willem Dafoe Ponders Life Choices In A New Anthem Spot for Jim Beam.

"Bold Choices," a new anthem spot beautifully shot by director Dante Ariola for Jim Beam, features actor Willem Dafoe as he ponders 'what might have been.' The 1:30 second spot from Strawberry Frog is meant to imply that the choices you make, make you.


above: Dafoe ponders his future; Milwaukee or New York?

The commercial opens with the young Dafoe at a pivotal turning point. Does he leave his small Milwaukee town for the dream of becoming an actor in the "Big City" or stay where he is and let life unfold?


above: One of Willem's possible futures includes becoming a trapeze artist

The spot has Dafoe reflecting on the possible futures had he made different choices- factory foreman, aging punk rocker, a trapeze artist, a successful businessman, limo driver, a fashion designer, a chess champion, even a sumo wrestler - but as Dafoe notes, in the end, there is really only one choice.



“All choices lead you somewhere,” Dafoe notes. ”Bold choices take you where you’re supposed to be.”



Credits:
Agency: Strawberry Frog
Chief Creative Officer: Kevin McKeon
Creative Director: Josh Greenspan and Jason Koxvold
Creative Team:
Todd Beeby
Brian Platt
Jed Cohen
Karl Haddad
Agency Producer: Sherri Levy
Director: Dante Ariola
Director of Photography: Emmanuel Lubezky
Editor: Adam Pertofsky @ Rock Paper Scissors
Visual Effects Company: The Mill, NY

Martini Gold by Dolce & Gabbana; The Fellini-esque Film, Ads, Stills & More.

Two Italian flavors, Martini & Rossi and Dolce & Gabbana, collaborated a few months ago to launch MARTINI®Gold, a special edition vermouth with a unique recipe which includes orange, ginger and cubeb pepper, inspired by the fashion duo.

The libation was launched with a Fellini-esque film starring the stunning and sexy Italian actress Monica Bellucci:



Directed by Jonas Åkerlund (shown shooting the movie below), the MARTINI® Gold short film is set in Rome, Italy - a beautiful backdrop for the visually lush story.






Inspired by Fellini's La Dolce Vita, it celebrates Italian lifestyle as well as Monica Bellucci's all-Italian beauty, with surprise appearances by designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana:


Stills from the film:






The print ads:


On the set images:








The special bottle and packaging bear the name of both Martini and Dolce & Gabbana



The Russian issue of Vogue even included the actual video within the pages of their December issue, making it their first video advertisement in a print medium:


MARTINI Gold
Martini
Dolce and Gabbana

Another Vodka Tries Attracting Women. Introducing Van Gogh Blue.

In today's New York Times, Stuart Elliott, in his campaign spotlight column, wrote about Van Gogh Blue, a triple distilled wheat Vodka that specifically targets women.

Having previously written several posts on this blog about premium vodkas, including other female-targeted brands like Diva and Igor Velodin's Damaskaya, both of which seem to have gone by the wayside* after a very short period of time, I was intrigued to say the least.

*Both the Diva and the Damaskaya websites have disappeared and neither can be found on the web or in liquor stores anymore.

above: Diva Vodka was packaged with real Swarovski Crystals emulating a stripper pole in the middle.


above: Russian brand Damaskaya caused nothing but headaches for the brand.

Will yet another "Ladies Only" Vodka make it? Van Gogh Blue does have the social media support behind it (a facebook page and twitter account) that the other two lacked and an advertising campaign with an edgy sense of humor. Diva and Damaskaya went the ultra feminine route with butterflies, diamonds and a nod to Marilyn Monroe.



The ads for Van Gogh Blue:




On their website, they the lure ladies to the liquor with the following text:

"Come unbottled with the only premium triple wheat vodka that’s guaranteed to be smoother than most of the men you meet out at the bars. Okay, all.

Sometimes a girl just wants to shake things up a bit. And we think there’s no better way to do that than with a great cocktail and some great friends. That’s why Van Gogh Vodka has been serving up five-star rated flavors that are smoother than silk sheets for…well, the exact number doesn’t matter. But let’s just say it’s been a while. And now we’re introducing women everywhere to Van Gogh BLUE, the first premium, triple wheat vodka made from three international sources (France, Germany and Holland). It’s 80-proof. And already proving to create some of the best ladies night memories. Ever.

So, leave the kids with the babysitter, and join the party on Facebook and Twitter. See you there."

So, what makes this one women-targeted vodka different from the other two?
Well, first of all, Van Gogh Vodka is already a well established brand. This particular release is the eleventh vodka from the distillery. Secondly they have a very large US distribution, not to mention ad advertising budget of one million dollars, which both Diva and Damaskaya lacked. These facts coupled with the social media efforts may just make this female-specific vodka work.

So, put away those wine spritzers, girls and raise a glass of Van Gogh Blue.

info and images courtesy of the NY Times and Van Gogh Vodka