Brief

Grey Goose is a well established brand globally, the brand was releasing it’s first uber premium NPD Altius across the globe in early 2024, Rubber was tasked to launch Grey Goose Altius to the German market, making it the most talked about must have choice for sophisticated high end spirits drinks when they are enjoying a premium celebration moment.

Our Approach

The campaign had distinct audience and channels to focus on, our approach began with the key trade media ensuring they had a chance to sample the new product and be the first to release the story. There was a big consumer media job to do on a product which is only available in on-trade, therefore our focus for stories would need two reflect this. Our plan also had a focus on influencers in market to take part in experiences and share the core brand message. In addition to this Rubber would run a press office for the Grey Goose original product, so it was key to ensure the media understood this was a ‘different but not better’ launch.

Trade Launch

As a part of a synched global launch, Rubber oversaw the briefing and seeding of key trade media across Germany, ensuring each got a limited edition bottle and a chance to speak to a Grey Goose ambassador to drive home messaging and product story.

To sustain awareness, Rubber placed global BA Joe McCanta for one to one interviews to speak about the launch and the product’s journey.

Ibiza Launch with Idris Elba

The global launch party saw Idris Elba host a party in an exclusive villa in Ibiza for selected high profile guests and influencers from across the world.

Rubber identified two influencers who fitted the brand profile and whose audience could be potential Grey Goose Altius drinkers. Konstantin Krayer and DJ Phil soda attended the event without fee and posted 21 times to their channels with clear branding. Content generated at the party was shared with our media set to further build the profile of an A list event and brand launch.

Consumer Launch

Grey Goose Altius was the first big NPD for the brand and aimed to offer drinks an alternative when they go to exclusive venues, only available in a limited locations and not for purchase in store, Rubber needed to create a clear message on launch and a luxurious m moment for media.

Rubber chose Munich as the key media city to focus on and identified the tier one media to invite, seeding the invite early to secure a spot in their diaries. The event took place at Rosewood Munich in a private dining space, the room was elegantly decorated in the brand colours and with chic flower displays. Grey Goose ambassadors Angie Schwarzkopf and Dominic Bruckmann took the guests on a Grey Goose masterclass journey as they were encouraged to try the different signature Altius serves, coupled with oysters and caviar. 

In addition to a comprehensive seeding programme, featuring information about the process, bottle design and locations it could be found, Rubber gave media the opportunity to take their editorial teams out to try for themselves. As the bottle was not available off-trade, it was key to build intrigue and desire within media to try the bottle in situ. Cool chic venues in Munich and Hamburg were offered to media houses Burda and G&G RTL, giving the brand direct access to Brigitte, Elle, InStyle, Harpers and Gala. 

To maintain noise for the brand in a congested Christmas news agenda, Rubber negotiated a number of media collabs with key tier one media such as Playboy, Couch and Stern, as well as a key city partnership with Mit Vergrnügen in Hamburg and Munich which highlighted the best bars to try specific Altius and Grey Goose serves.

Influencer Partnership – Jannik Stutzenberger

A key objective for the campaign was to engage with the tastemakers who would buy the new Altius and to influence their peer group to do the same. With a tight budget and the aim to generate as much organic noise as possible, Rubber looked for a strong personality who had a good network we could build into an idea. We identified Jannik Stutzenberger as someone who fit the bill, Jannik is a Berlin based fashion, lifestyle, travel and food blogger who has a strong network of cool friends that would be seen in the venues Altius is served. 

We created a narrative around an exclusive dinner party as an ‘Auf Wiedersehen’ as he was heading to NYC to live and work for a two months. Working to the clear Bacardi partner regulations we helped Jannik curate an interesting and connected guest list of his friends to enjoy a Michelin star menu with specially created Altius moments throughout the night. Guests were gifted a bottle of Altius as a part of their invite and all posted without fee throughout the evening and the next day generating 18 free posts with a reach of over 5million.