The Kraken Black Spiced Rum Tales
Jules Verne, the French science fiction author’s famous ‘20,000 Leagues Under The Sea’, published in 1870, tells the tale of Captain Nemo who roams the ocean in his submarine the ‘Nautilus’ to wage a war against suppression and injustice.
On one of the voyages, a giant squid attacks the Nautilus and the crew have to engage in desperate battles to fend off the legendary monster that in Norwegian folklore, is known as ‘The KRAKEN’.
Dead As We Know It
The Advertising Agency in New York, USA, with the unusual name of ‘Dead As We Know It’, devised an integrated campaign for the launch of a Black Spiced Rum that brought ‘The Kraken’ and his black ink to indelible life.
The campaign was meticulously planned, with compelling graphics, a painstakingly crafted brand identity, great copy, and was launched in 2010.
‘The Kraken, the most fearsome of all sea monsters, lives up to 3,000 feet below the ocean surface. This dreaded behemoth has been known to attack ships, dragging god-fearing seamen to their deaths’.
‘The largest shipment of Caribbean Black Spiced Rum was reportedly brought down by the Kraken. The rum was named thusly, as to being as dark, strong and mysterious as the ink of the beast’.
A Remarkable Integration of Holistic Design
What I particularly admire is that the brand identity starts with the distinctive packaging design inspired by the shape of a Victorian rum bottle.
It was not designed as a separate entity to appear as a packshot at the end of whatever advertising concept would follow.
The packaging was part and parcel of a planed communication concept and central to a consistent visual identity and brand character in all integrated media.
1. The Kraken, The Bottle, The Legend, The Rum
Advertising Agency: Dead As We Know It, New York, USA
Graphic Designer/ Creative Director Charmaine Choy, and Illustrator Steve Nobel.
2. The Kraken, Existence
Advertising Agency: Dead As We Know It, New York, USA
Graphic Designer/ Creative Director Charmaine Choy, and Illustrator Steve Nobel.
3. The Kraken Chapter 1. Anatomy
Advertising Agency: Dead As We Know It, New York, USA
Graphic Designer/ Creative Director Charmaine Choy, and Illustrator Steve Nobel.
4. The Kraken Chapter 2. Ink
Advertising Agency: Dead As We Know It, New York, USA
Graphic Designer/ Creative Director Charmaine Choy, and Illustrator Steve Nobel.
5. The Kraken Chapter 3. Myth
Advertising Agency: Dead As We Know It, New York, USA
Graphic Designer/ Creative Director Charmaine Choy, and Illustrator Steve Nobel
6. The Kraken, Survival App
Advertising Agency: Dead As We Know It, New York, USA
Graphic Designer/ Creative Director Charmaine Choy, and Illustrator Steve Nobel.
7. The Kraken, A Tale Well Told
Advertising Agency: Technology, Humans, and Taste (THAT), New York, USA
Directed by Jared Knecht and featuring actor Tom Payne, the story is a vey watchable dramatisation about a man drawing on his bar napkin as he graphically describes his stormy misadventure when his boat was snapped in half, he was tossed into the sea, and all he could taste was the ‘thick, rich ink of the beast’.
8. The Kraken, Ocean of Souls Screamfest
Event Management Coordinators: Immersive Theatre Les Enfants Terribles
The Kraken 2018 ‘Ocean of Souls Screamfest’ brand activation of a unique, immersive Halloween experience, in 2,000 venues across the UK, was the biggest single campaign investment across multiple media that the brand has ever launched.
The immersive experience was entirely free from entry, but only if one agreed to sell one’s soul for a night. One of the rewards being access to The Kraken Underwater Bar for sampling limited edition cocktails that included seaweed and squid ink beverages.
Another ‘soul-selling’ reward was entry to ‘The Kraken Screamfest’ launch event, to watch the scariest film of all time, screened to the scariest audience of all time: an auditorium filled with menacing clowns.
9. The Kraken, Manchester Encounter
Augmented Reality posters, planned by Media Campaign and created in conjunction with Ocean Labs, were part of an interactive, out-of-home campaign in Manchester, UK, that motivated the public to a social media sharing engagement with ‘The Kraken’.
Branded vinyl mats in front of the posters, invited the public to stand on them to release ‘The Kraken’. Links were then activated on the poster sites for redeeming special offers, gifts and discounts.
10. The Kraken, Brooklyn Wall Mural, New York, USA
Outdoor Advertising Company: Colossal Media Hand Painted Murals and Art Projects, USA
I often find that viewing muralists engaged in their craft more exciting than the finished project.
This imposing ‘The Kraken’ size comparison mural, certainly had an alluring ‘spectator art’ aspect about it in its hand painted progression to revealing finality.