Madrid - Leading Spanish drinks brand Ponche Caballero is targeting the younger consumer through a new brand equity and a series of new initiatives developed in partnership with Saatchi & Saatchi Spain.  These include a new bottle design, website, a new jingle and themed parties.

While occupying a solid part of the Spanish alcohol market - the most consumed liquor in Spain with 85% sales share in its category, making it one of the top 10 alcoholic brands - these initiatives aim to reposition the brand as a night time player, and as a new alternative to the international “night” drinks, such as whiskey, gin, vodka, etc.

The client and the agency have been working together on a new equity for the brand to make it more relevant to the younger target group, whilst not excluding the traditional loyal consumers.  The reinvented equity breaks away from traditional brand communication without losing the Spanish origins of the product.

Emilio Pila, Director Digital at Saatchi & Saatchi Spain, says, “Saatchi & Saatchi’s strategic approach is based on a value-added insight that when going out in Spain, even though you say i‘just for a drink’, you end up staying out all night, you get carried away - ‘te lías’.  In Spain, we share this pride in our know how for having fun, to live these nights when you know how it starts but never know how it will end.  These nights of lights, smiles, fun, friends, and surprises carry you away.   And this new campaign says to the consumer ‘Let yourself join us on this adventure – Déjate liar!’”

The key visual, with predominantly silver grey colours and a touch of jazz mood, is the central part of the campaign. It is an iconic illustration that represents a journey through a Spanish night out, using outstanding and very elegant art direction qualities which add to the brand reinvention. The brand becomes younger yet more rooted in its Spanish origins and character as the journey unfolds.

The creative campaign, apart from establishing a new brand equity and image, delivers against various marketing objectives. In order to reinforce product consumption, several visuals have been developed under the same creative concept, with three main final pieces of artwork: Piña Liada (Ponche Caballero with Pineapple Juice), Naranaja Liada (Ponche Caballero with orange juice) and Cola Liada (Ponche Caballero with Coca-Cola). Amongst other distribution and stock rotation improvements, the re-designed Ponche Caballero bottle has changed to a 70cl format and this new modern bottle is presented in the advertising campaign.

Historically, Ponche Caballero’s advertising has been well known for the brand’s creative collaboration with different music artists strongly related to Spanish culture and imagery. That is why agency paid special attention to the development of the music used in the campaign. The challenge was to marry 21st century night sounds with the brand’s classic jingle “Caballero, Caballero, Caballero, Ponche Caballero”, and to do that it was necessary to find a band able to connect the younger target audience with the brand and the new campaign.

“In the end it was almost a matter of luck. Surfing Myspace we discovered an electronic band called The Knot with a very up-to-the-minute sound and strong feeling.  The Knot’s British lead singer interpreting the traditional Ponche Caballero jingle with a foreign accent gives the tune a certain retro-exotic touch, while her voice reaches out to the audience with elegant energy,” reaffirms Dilyara Abdulkayumova, Saatchi & Saatchi trend setter.

The campaign is completed by two waves of parties to be held all across Spain, product trials and premium events lead by OT (Operación Triunfo - the popular TV reality-show talent contest) contestant Jorge Gonzalez. These events – to be seen in the autumn - will be fully covered on web TV and on the new Ponche Caballero website - www.dejateliar.es - created by Saatchi & Saatchi, using flash video, 2.0 promo actions and much more.