Imagination and creativity : The keys to success for Desperados

Desperados attempts to become the reference brand in terms of artistic creativity. For this, the brand has developed a partnership with the 9th Concept, a Parisian artists collective, made up of painters, graphic designers, photographers, videographers and musicians, and puts its bottle at the heart of its communication.

 

This collaboration, which has been going on for over ten years, leads to the creation of limited editions every year. The design of the bottles is revisited by the artists of the 9th Concept, who let their imagination run wild and upset the traditional codes of beer, in order to modernize the image of the brand. Up to now, almost 60 Limited Edition bottles have been created !

  

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9th Concept's creations

In addition, Desperados promotes its imagination and creativity in an original way. For example, the brand organized in 2009 an exibition in Paris : « Imagine Desperados by ... ». The brand invited the visitor to discover its creative universe through the exhibition of its  advertising campaign revisited by famous nightclubs and cultural magazines (such Tracks and the Inrockuptibles) in their own way, as well as the exhibition of its Limited Edition bottles, created by the 9th Concept. This allowed Desperados to position itself not only as a brand but also as an editor of creative content and a promoter of a certain form of culture.

 

 

The second major initiative of the brand took place in 2011 with the creation of an ephemeral bar in Paris, the « Wild Bar », entirely dedicated to the brand ! Many events and parties are organized in order to immerse the guests in the world of the famous beer flavored with tequila. For example, Desperados has recreated  a clandestine workshop where the artists of the 9th Concept work directly on posters and custom bags with their visual identity. The brand also organizes original parties during the weeks of the operation : the program includes body painting, showcase of the 9th Concept's musicians as well as the opportunity to taste cocktails made with Desperados like for example the Despejito. Desperados has gone wild !   

 

Finally, the brand offers the beer drinkers the opportunity to create their own Desperados bottle in the website « Imagine your Desperados ». No need to be an experienced designer, this creative workshop offers a large range of colors and designs, some created by the 9th Concept. An online voting is organized in order to select the most distinguished label. And even if you are not selected, you can still order your bottle ! The consumer feels more responsible and listened through this community site.

J.G.

 

The Vikings are back in France !

Have you heard about SКøll, this new beer that tries to overrun the shelves of our stores? Some say that it is a Viking's beer. Desperados, get ready for the invasion : the Vikings are back in France !

 

Kronenbourg has launched in early 2013, a new beer flavored with vodka and citrus fruits (grapefruit and lime). What an amazing combination ! Coming from Denmark, this beer is named SКøll, which means « Cheers » in the Northern countries. 

 

The brand plays on its Scandinavian origins : The bottle is adorned with the famous Viking helmet and the Nordic blue predominates in the colour codes which provides a sensation of intense cold, freshness and refreshment. Otherwise, the bottle is trapped in ice, what makes you want to grasp it and to drink until your desire is quenched. The universe developed by the brand is different, trendy and young !

 

 

The brand also plays on the specificities of the packaging  : No need for a bottle-opener, the 33 and 66 cl bottles are fitted with a capsule unpin for easy opening ! And finished the warm beers thanks to a freshness signal on the 50cl cans for an ideal drinking temperature. When the stick is gray, the beer is not fresh enough, when it is blue, you can enjoy your ice cold SКøll !

 

With this beer, Kronenbourg positions itself in the market of the specialty beers and come into direct competition with Heineken : North and South confront themselves. So, are you more North or South ? Skoll with Vodka or Desperados with Tequila ? Which one will you choose ?

 

J.G.

 

Desperados, the premium beer that makes the difference !

 

Desperados is a lager beer, brewed in France and flavored with tequila. It was established in 1995 by the Fisher Brewery, an old Alsatian brewery. Since 1996, the brand is part of the Heineken group.

It is said that its name comes from the fact that after being created, this beer was still unnamed and the company was desperate to found one ! Did you know it ?

Brand ID card

 

Today, Desperados is one of the four leading brands of the Heineken group (with Heineken, Pelforth and Affligem), and it is ranked 4^th in the French market with 8% market share in value, according to IRI panel data.

 

The brand belongs to the group of specialty beers, which include all the beers that tell a story due to their origin, composition or geography (abbey beers, brown ale, white or flavored beers). They are very successful in France, in a context where beer sales are declining. The other brands present on this segment are Corona (InBev) and Skoll (recently launched by Kronenbourg).

 

Beer has always been a symbol of conviviality and celebration. However, this market is encountering difficulties for years partly because of the image we often assign to beer: that of a poor quality drink consumed by men watching TV and lounging on the couch.

Another reason of this decline : We observe the same trend than in the wine market. Beer consumers drink less but better by focusing on quality or originality taste. As a result, most of the brands confront them with products more and more sophisticated and expensive, with also important investments in marketing.

 

Desperados benefits from this market trend. Today, one of its strategies is the premiumisation of its portfolio, by offering to the consumers, products that are more upscale and more expensive in order to improve its turnover. Did you know that Desperados was the most expensive beer in the French market ? It is two times more expensive than Heineken !

 

Innovation also remains a strategic focus area for Desperados. Since its launch, the brand has been continuously investing in order to offer beer drinkers, innovative and audacious recipes. The brand has reinvented the freshness with Desperados Lime, shaken the night life with Desperados Red (flavored with Tequila, Cachaça, Guarana and red fruits), provoked the consumers’ senses with Desperados Fuego and its lightly spiced notes, and recreated the Cuban atmosphere with Desperados Verde, which reveals the essence of the legendary Mojito cocktail with its blend of lime and mint.

 

 

J.G