Hendrick’s Gin gets an ATTABOY

9 INCH AXIOM – Location, location, location

‘Picking the right location for an event is absolutely critical’

I like an occasional Gin and Tonic. Therefore I have to thank Gibby Harnett at the International Tennis Hall of Fame for introducing me to Hendrick’s Gin.

When I came across a post on Hendrick’s from leasimpson.com it brought a smile to my face as an experiential marketer.

Here you have a brand who understands the importance of the surrounding environment when creating a compelling consumer experience. 

In Lea’s words:

Last night I was lucky enough to attend a Hendicks Gin party at the glorious Wiltons Music Hall.

A small indication of just how bloody incredible the evening was, the picture above is an ice-filled bathtub in Wilton’s foyer. The taps, when turned by a beautifully groomed man in a top hat, pour Hendricks Gin.

This is my second Hendricks experience and I can now conclude with confidence that they are hot. Sizzling hot. Hendricks understand the power of experiential marketing, careful targetting and how to do it all with understated style. Yes, they gave me cocktails, but I drank the cocktails without being swamped with logo-emblazoned goods, they spared me the customer survey and didn’t so much as ask for my email address.

Marketing types can learn a lot from these people (cocktail-making aside). But probably the most important lesson of all is to choose your partner carefully. Hendricks partnership with Wiltons Music Hall is like a compatibility overload – this is written-in-the-stars kind of perfect.

For those of you who don’t yet know Wiltons, it’s a treasure nestled near Tower Bridge.

The space is breathtaking – heavy with history and ambiance. Perfect for the Victoriana chic of the Hendricks brand. Hendricks are wise enough to know that sizzling hot though they may be, this venue gave them instant credibility and a charm you couldn’t find anywhere else.

5 things I like about Hendrick’s from a sensory perspective:

1. Visual – the design of the bottle is distinctive and inspired from an apothecary (see Today’s Lagniappe for more on gin’s medicinal heritage).

2. Tactile – the bottle is corked which gives it an authentic feel of being handcrafted and produced in small batches.

3. Smell / Taste – imagine the essence of rose petals and cucumbers.  The gin is infused with both which provides a citrusy nose and a crisp smooth taste.

4. Visual – is that a cucumber I see in your drink?  Smart move to encourage the use of sliced cucumbers in the place of limes. 

5. Visual / Auditory – they embrace all things Victorian and take almost an ‘anti-marketing’ approach.  The hangtag says things like, “It is not for everybody” and “Preferred by 1 out of 1000 gin drinkers”.  

This is my first official ‘ATTABOY’.  Two thumbs, way up.  Congrats to Hendrick’s and the folks on the brand team from Grant & Son’s.

Today’s Lagniappe (a little something extra) - a story, an etymology, a video and a quote

Story - Gin and Tonic owes it’s marriage and medicinal reputation to malaria.  When the British were in the East they became susceptible to malaria and eventually found out that quinine (an ingredient in Tonic Water) was useful for getting rid of the disease. Well, as you would probably expect, drinking Tonic Water by itself is pretty nasty (unless you’ve acquired a taste for it) and they had problems getting the British in the East to drink it.  Along comes our friend Gin to be mixed with the Tonic Water, which not only made drinking it much more pleasant, but also created an excellent drink that would be remembered from then on, even if its relationship to the disease was forgotten.

Etymology - Gin gets it’s name for genever.  Gin was invented around 1650 in the Netherlands.  Dr. Sylvuis intended this “medicine” as a remedy for kidney disorders. He used neutral grain spirits flavored with the oil of juniper. He called it genever after the French term genièvre meaning juniper. By 1655 it was already being commercially produced and English soldiers serving in the area, took affection to the spirit.

Video - Here is a video from 2008 in the Drake Hotel.  It features a global brand ambassador for Hendrick’s Gin.

Quote - The quote on the bathtub above is from which famous Victorian playwright who said, “I can resist everything, except temptation”.  The answer is in the first comment.

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