Star Wars Volvic bottles’ pre-Christmas launch set to have universal appeal but limited editions can be released any time of year
21 December 2015
Star Wars Volvic bottles' pre-Christmas launch set to have universal appeal but limited editions can be released any time of year
Kim Van Elkan, Managing Director, Hornall Anderson
Christmas is coming and so is Star Wars. Danone's launch of limited edition Star Wars themed bottles of water is also cleverly coming at a time when the war on sugar continues.
Firstly the range of six bottles featuring characters from the famous films should do well in the run up to Christmas as Star Wars fans will be eager to add these limited editions to their collection and the fervour around the launch of the latest Star Wars film The Force Awakens builds.
Secondly as the war on sugar develops, parents and Government Ministers are likely to welcome packaging which encourages children to choose healthy drinks (and ideally water) over sugar infused ones. The great thing for Volvic is that Star Wars is a brand that appeals to all ages, so young and old won't mind finding a Darth Vader or Chewbacca bottle in their Christmas stocking (a fact I'm sure that wouldn't have escaped the attention of Volvic's marketers).
The launch marks the first time Volvic has released character themed bottles in the UK. Limited editions are a very effective way of increasing your brand's profile and tieing up with a Disney franchise will enable Volvic to increase its market reach. It also genuinely makes water exciting.
What could be a better marketing ploy than a product so well packaged, that the consumer takes it home and keeps it? And of course, your brand will be helping to save the planet too: the best form of recycling is to love something so much you never throw it away.
Tieing up with a global brand like Star Wars ahead of a film release just before Christmas is of course a brilliant idea. But limited editions can be released any time of the year.
Linking with a special event is a good way to raise awareness of your brand and you can even create your own special event to draw attention to your product. For the launch of the Vaseline special edition Crème Brûlée Lip Therapy, Unilever and Selfridges created a pop-up boutique in London and Manchester Selfridges, complete with Pout Mistress instructing on perfect pouts and a photo booth that uploaded your pouty portrait straight to Facebook.
With press in print, online, on blogs and social media, this self-created event became so successful that Crème Brûlée Lip Therapy was the fastest selling product in Selfridges' history, moving 2700 units on the first day of trade and 12,449 units in three and a half weeks.
To create a limited edition which will work you need to get out there and meet your consumer. You need to understand what makes them tick. If you want to design something they will love, cherish and want to keep - something that might actually gain in value as it ages - you need to know who they are and what they want.
When limited editions work, they are one of the most successful ways we have found to build love for a brand while conveying its personality. But it is important to remember that limited editions should be for life - not just for Christmas.
