Plymouth Gin brand | brandchannel.com

Plymouth Gin

Plymouth Gin
bottoms up
by Robin D. Rusch
February 12, 2001

Talk about a bad hangover. Plymouth Gin's looked lethal until a small group of dedicated individuals bellied up to the bar and bought it from Allied Domecq in 1996. Four years on, there is every reason to be proud of Plymouth's two-century-old tradition, and that spells bottoms up for everyone.

One of the U.K.'s oldest alcoholic brands, favored by Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt, Alfred Hitchcock and Ian Fleming, Plymouth Gin seemed little more than a rail drink by 1996. News stories from around this period refer to it as a "remember-that" brand.

Indeed by the mid-nineties, overall sales were down across all gin brands. And it was not the first time gin had slipped from the public's favor. By the early part of the 18th century, the term "gin" had become so closely associated with the lower classes, members of the gentry had to refer to it as "white wine" and even "nig" so as not to damage their patrician reputations when ordering. It wasn't until the sugar used in

gin to prolong the palpability over a longer shelf life was supplanted by an improved distillation process that it regained credibility with the higher born. Now a couple of centuries later, the gin market and Plymouth in particular was drying up all over again and its owner, Allied Domecq, was concentrating more on its supposed stronger brand, Beefeater. (A brand against which Plymouth fought a successful suit in 1933 over a trademark infringement when Beefeater tried to market its own brand of "Plymouth Gin.") Spirits were low back at the Black Friars distillery in Plymouth; sales were down to an anemic 7,000 cases a year.

Was this any way for one of the U.K.'s oldest alcoholic brands to end up? The new owners thought not, nor did they approve of the state of disarray to the brand. They set about to restore the dignity of the Coates family original inside and out with a brand re-launch in March of 1998. As Charles Rolls, managing director of Plymouth Gin, explained, "The new branding is in complete contrast to the outgoing design and truly reflects the premium nature of Plymouth Gin. […]One of the things we learned immediately was that without premium branding, our efforts would ultimately have failed. Today’s consumer expects top quality from premium spirits and the quality has to be both inside the bottle and in the branding itself."

Gone was the shabby looking packaging from the days of Allied's ownership. The new packaging involved a re-creation of the original bottle and included the thirsty monk inside the bottle; when his toes dry out, it's time to replenish. Another wise move was to extend the branding campaign to the gin itself. Following lean years in a weakened state (with the proof down to 37.5% per Allied), Plymouth was restored to its original strength of 41.2%, and a "Navy Strength" of 57% to remind drinkers of the brand's status as the official gin of the British Royal Navy.

Now the best-selling premium gin in the UK and making inroads world wide, Plymouth is out of the bargain bin and back on the top shelf. Cheers!

Robin D. Rusch lives and works in New York City.


commenting closed	bookmark	print
suggest topic	recommend ( 10 )	email

brandchannel profile archive

2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 |

Dec 31, 2001	Diesel - fueled by fashion -- Abram D. Sauer
	Diesel establishes itself by poking fun at the establishment. How long before the irony wears through?

Dec 17, 2001	Red Cross - relief needed -- Joseph M. Walters
	The American Red Cross went from hero to zero in a matter of days. Can the brand rebuild and win back the hearts and wallets it’s lost?

Dec 10, 2001	FDNY - hot -- Jonathan Schneider
	Suddenly, the hottest brand to come out of the US is a non-profit organization. We tip our hats to the FDNY.

Dec 3, 2001	NBC - knows TV -- Al Berrios
	As NBC demonstrates, television channels don’t need to be cross media giants to successfully compete for advertisers.

Nov 26, 2001	Legend - linking thoughts -- Kim Barnet
	Legend is living up to its name by studying Dell and HP. But can the Chinese PC maker continue to conquer the market alone?

Nov 19, 2001	Red Bull - all the rage -- Abram D. Sauer
	Red Bull’s attempt at a pious brand image goes out to pasture the minute we power up the turntable.

Nov 12, 2001	Harry Potter - literary crack -- Abram D. Sauer
	We look back on the legacy that brought a children’s book to this staggering height of awareness.

Nov 5, 2001	Shanghai Tang - firmly tongue in chic -- Abram D. Sauer
	Hong Kong retailer Shanghai Tang is putting dignity into the phrase “Made in China.”

Oct 29, 2001	YMCA - spells community -- John Karolefski
	The old-line non-profit brand YMCA has survived the Village People and a name that, spelled out, is largely meaningless to its 18M members.

Oct 22, 2001	MTN - Africa gets connected -- Nana Eyeson
	Africa’s Mobile Telephone Networks is expanding with a critically essential product in an otherwise fractured communications landscape.

Oct 15, 2001	SakéOne Corp. - drunk on potential -- Abram D. Sauer
	Momokawa’s renegade sub-brand SakéOne is stocking the bar in anticipation of a mad rush for saké in the US.

Oct 8, 2001	Patagonia - granola gucci -- Matt Seigel
	Patagonia comes down from the mountains and is embraced by the suburban outdoorsman.

Oct 1, 2001	Tupperware - keepin' it fresh -- Stephanie Margolin
	Tupperware changes shape from Bangalore to Birmingham to stay fresh in the 21st century.

Sep 24, 2001	U-Haul - moving on -- Jonathan Schneider
	U-Haul needs to work extra hard to associate its brand with ease and convenience in the backbreaking business of self-moving.

Sep 17, 2001	BBC - a global beacon -- Stephanie Margolin
	As many of us watch and listen to events unfolding in the US, we turn once again to the BBC for its top quality news and analysis.

Sep 10, 2001	Blue Note - kind of blue -- Jonathan Schneider
	We examine the 62-year run of the Blue Note label from Ornette Coleman and Miles Davis to Us3, Soulive, and now, Starbucks.

Sep 3, 2001	Patek Philippe - timeless -- Robin D. Rusch
	The last independent watchmaker in Geneva, Patek Philippe is, nevertheless, still ticking.

Aug 27, 2001	Underoos - to the rescue -- Sarah McNeill
	We go under cover to look at Underoos, the underwear that's fun to wear.

Aug 20, 2001	Pirelli - far from tired -- Robin D. Rusch
	The elongated P in Pirelli covers everything from cable systems to tires, clothing to naked women.

Aug 13, 2001	Google - the infinite quest -- Robin D. Rusch
	A successful dot-com brand? Google is the fun service involved in serious work.

Aug 6, 2001	Bicycle - big deal -- Sarah McNeill
	Bicycle playing cards knows when to hold ‘em and knows when to play. We have a look at the 116-year history of this small but sturdy brand.

Jul 30, 2001	Zespri - a kiwi's kiwi -- Robin D. Rusch
	Kiwi grower Zespri International exports its brand in a traditionally commoditized industry.

Jul 23, 2001	Aston Martin - shaken, not stirred -- Robin D. Rusch
	Aston Martin bled money for over 80 years before Ford Motor Company took control and achieved a U-turn on the P&L sheet.

Jul 16, 2001	Zima - clearly an enigma -- Robin D. Rusch
	How does Zima survive despite low sales and media ridicule?

Jul 9, 2001	Swiss Army Knife - an army of two -- Robin D. Rusch
	This week’s brand profile looks at the dueling brands (Swiss style) of Victorinox and Wenger.

Jul 2, 2001	AstroTurf - the grass is always greener -- Robin D. Rusch
	AstroTurf delivered summer year round for 35 years.

Jun 25, 2001	Dr. Bronner's - magic in a bottle -- Sarah McNeill
	What makes Dr. Bronner’s soaps so “magical”?

Jun 18, 2001	Zamboni - smooth operator -- Robin D. Rusch
	The funny machine between periods at an ice-hockey game? A Zamboni, of course, the best known resurfacer in the ice business.

Jun 11, 2001	Havoline - striking oil -- Robin D. Rusch
	This week’s brand profile concentrates on a striking new packaging initiative for Havoline automotive products.

Jun 4, 2001	Durex - erecting a global brand -- Robin D. Rusch
	How has Durex kept it up all these years?

May 28, 2001	Lonely Planet - lost without it -- Robin D. Rusch
	The Lonely Planet muscles for space on the crowded bookshelf of the travel guide section.

May 21, 2001	ONDEO - makes a splash -- Robin D. Rusch
	Like a glass of water in a parched landscape, the Ondeo brand glistens in the utilities industry.

May 14, 2001	FUBU - for us by us -- Nana Eyeson
	FUBU, the urban gear with edge, expands its marketbase and its marketplace in a short but sweet decade of existence.

May 7, 2001	Guinness World Records - stupid human tricks -- Robin D. Rusch
	Is the Guinness Book of World Records a menace to society?

Apr 30, 2001	Muji - commonly unique -- Robin D. Rusch
	From Japan comes the Zen-like Muji, a brand despite itself.

Apr 23, 2001	Alessi - putting the fun in function -- Robin D. Rusch
	Without leaving the home, Alessi has crossed continents and oceans to become an inspiring international brand.

Apr 16, 2001	Tiger Balm - fit for an emperor -- Robin D. Rusch
	Tiger Balm gently lures consumers into its soothing lair with a winning recipe for brand success.

Apr 9, 2001	Greenpeace - making waves -- Robin D. Rusch
	Greenpeace battles its own success as the multinational organization reaches middle age. Has it outgrown its brand?

Apr 2, 2001	Airstream - the land yacht -- Sarah McNeill
	The Airstream brand has survived wars, recessions, and different owners and it’s still motoring on.

Mar 26, 2001	Sanrio - the cat's meow -- Robin D. Rusch
	Like a fresh bowl of tuna, Sanrio delights young and old alike, courtesy of our feline friends Hello Kitty and Dear Daniel.

Mar 19, 2001	Yugo - can yugo still go? -- Robin D. Rusch
	Will Yugo ever climb the hill and emerge as a credible brand or will it eventually be towed into the junkyard and abandoned for parts?

Mar 12, 2001	Indian - muffled but not silenced -- Robin D. Rusch
	Indian Motorcycle was up on blocks for nearly a half century before getting a jumpstart back into production.

Mar 5, 2001	Kangol - hip hoppin' -- Sarah McNeill
	Hang on to your hat, milliner Kangol is profiled.

Feb 26, 2001	LEGO - brand building -- Robin D. Rusch
	Find out how the little brick maker, Lego, constructed a bridge to the 21st century.

Feb 19, 2001	Olay - forever young -- Robin D. Rusch
	Olay may be over 60 years old but its continual makeovers keep it young, vibrant and wrinkle-free.

Feb 5, 2001	Ribena - the posh squash -- Caroline Wilson
	The name that will forever be known as good and good for you.

RSS

| Privacy Policy | About Us | Contact Us | FAQ