The global success of a pioneer vodka, a bottle, a relationship

Grey Goose

Customer: Grey Goose Vodka

Brand: Grey Goose Vodka

Universe: Spirits

Category: Vodka

Origin: World

Expertises: Glass creation and decoration

In 1997, a pioneer vodka named Grey Goose was looking for a versatile bottle, capable of showcasing an innovative and sophisticated decoration. The Saverglass solution contributed to making this vodka, which is American but produced in Cognac, France, a world reference of French luxury. This is the story of a beautiful success but also a more than 20-year loyalty between Saverglass and Bacardi United.

The context:

Super-premium vodka, a novel idea

In 1997, American business man Sidney Frank was one of the first to position himself on a completely new segment : super-premium vodka. To launch his luxury vodka, he naturally went to… France! Upon his request, Master Distiller François Thibault concocted a unique recipe based on:

  • a top-quality French wheat grown in the northern region of Picardy;
  • an artesian water, filtered by par the limestone rocks of Grande-Champagne in the Cognac region;
  • the know-how of masters distillers from the Cognac region.

That is how Grey Goose was born.

The last step was to create a bottle and find a manufacturer capable of supporting not just the launch but also the growth of a new product aimed for the American market before expanding globally. This was a perfect fit for French group Saverglass, who presented the advantage of mastering the dual competence of glass manufacturing and glass decoration.
 
 

The challenge:

Super premium vodka seeks leading-edge bottle

How do you explain the consumer that this product is different from anything that has been done before? To make them see at first glance the exceptional character of a drink they can neither smell not drink, the role of the bottle was naturally paramount! Not only as a container but as carrier of the values of innovation, excellence and luxury which make Grey Goose unique. The new brand demanded:

  • a packaging that was both leading-edge and high-end,
  • a simple design, both modern and timeless
  • a sophisticated decoration to affirm its « luxury » positionning.

The solution:

A pure line for a complex decoration

In the Saverglass catalog, the Grey Goose team moved quickly towards the Ariane bottle line, a Saverglass copyrighted design which is minimalist and breaks with the codes established on the spirits market, and features lines that are  both pure and modern. In particular, its cylindrical shape offers a large decoration area. Finally, this catalog model is available in a wide range of sizes.

Once the bottle was chosen, the Saverglass team of decoration experts came into play to develop the sophisticated decoration imagined by Grey Goose, and met all the challenges:

  • the acid-etching features a large window to showcase the decoration;
  • the multi-color screenprinting requires several passes and ultra-precise set-ups to print each element.

The 3-color flag with the word “France” add one last touch of luxury while discreetly reminding the consumer of the product origin.
 

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The result:

From launch to maturity, 20 years of loyalty

The success of the Grey Goose vodka was explosive. In just a few years, it became number 1 on the market of super premium vodkas first in the United States, then globally. In June of 2004, Sidney Frank sold the brand to Bacardi Group

More than 20 years after launching the first bottle, Saverglass is still the brand partner, accompanying its diversification. The Grey Goose vodka is now available in 12 sizes, from 50ml to 4.5L and in 6 flavors and multiple limited editions. All in all, more than 60 different decorated models are produced each year.

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