VOD-K, the subtle combination of pure grain vodka, caramel and black truffles is a new premium vodka from Paris-based Fryd Food & Drink produced and bottled in Cognac in the Charente, the birthplace of expertise and tradition in quality spirits and liqueurs.
An exceptional vodka, VOD-K differs from its sister premium pure grain through the subtle aroma of truffles and caramel it releases every sip. This exclusive alliance gives contrasting notes, leaving the palate an impression of strength and softness.
Fryd Food & Drink tapped agency QSLD Paris to brand the new premium vodka. The agency worked on the name research, the graphic identity and the package design.
Frydlender Lawrence is a lover of terroir and flavors forgotten. A true epicurean, he has always advocated a return to the earth and the real. After more than 20 years in the world of cosmetics and traveling the world, he created Fryd Food & Drink. As a nod to the founder, VOD-K is nestled in a crystal bottle much like a vial of perfume. Composed mainly of crystal glass, it features a thick base which supports pattern etched glass that results in a brushed metal nose with a plastic insert designed much like perfume.
"I wanted to reconsider, premiumize and modernize the distillery sample bottle. The bottle of Vod-k is cylinder-shaped heavy and weighted to underline its premium character. This character is highlightened by the mat finishing of its Brown anodized metal cap. The bottom of the bottle is truffle shaped. The concept of Vod-k has been thought from the beginning to the end to create a consistent universe. Vod-k is a modern interpretation of the « demijohn ». Unique by its shape and its graphic design, Vod-k is also a decorative object. Thought to be exhibited, no detail has been left to chance." Denis Boudard of QSLD says.
The name « vod-k » is phonetical and looks like an sms word. A universal name, easy to remember, to understand and pronounce all over the world.
Specializing in truffle based fine foods, Fryd Food & Drink has previously trusted QSLD Paris with the design and graphic identity of their own logotype and QSLD worked on the graphic and volume design of many of their products (e.g.Olive oil, truffle flavoured salt and pasta).
If you've been following the news, there's been quite a bit of 'buzz', pardon the pun, about Canna Cola, a new line of THC-infused carbonated beverages for intended sale at medicinal marijuana dispensaries.
The five flavored medical marijuana soda pops; Canna Cola, Orange Kush, Sour Diesel, Grape Ape and Doc Weed are the brain child of multi-talented designer, concert photographer, political cartoonist and entrepreneur Clay Butler.
Scott Ridell of Diavolo Brands, who created the products along with Clay [they are not marketing it... that was an error in the Santa Cruz Sentinel article], says the beverage line's dosage of THC will be "somewhere between 35 to 65 milligrams" and that that "the levels of THC in his line of soft drinks will be substantially below the levels of many drinks now on the market." He likened his product to a "light beer" alongside high-proof liquors.
Although there are several THC laced sodas on the market, most are produced in small batches and lack the marketing effort of a larger brand. Kushtown Sodas and Dixie Elixirs are two examples.
Clay, a self-proclaimed "clean living guy" says he's never even smoked a cigarette, let alone marijuana.
above: Clay and some of his Soda Pot (photo for Santa Cruz Sentinel by Bill Lovejoy)
An article in the Santa Cruz Sentinel quotes Clay as saying "Marijuana sodas do exist in the marketplace. But, said Butler, none of them have the branding savvy of his product.
"You look at all the marijuana products out there, and they are so mom-and-pop, hippie-dippy, and rinky dink," he said. "If someone can put every color on the rainbow on it, they do. If they can pick the most inappropriate and unreadable fonts, they will. And there's marijuana leaves on everything. It's a horrible cliché in the industry."
Kushtown's THC-infused sodas and sauces:
Dixie Elixir changed their original marijuana leaf logos: to a more subtle, but difficult to read, design: Butler's epiphany was to market the THC-laced sodas "how Snapple or Coca-Cola or Minute Maid would make a marijuana beverage, if they ever chose to do it."
Thus, he used the marijuana leaf - it's an unavoidable part of the "brand DNA" of marijuana products, he said - but he designed a leaf made of bubbles (shown below), to suggest soda pop.
above: Clay Butler designed the logo and bottle designs for the Soda Pot.
Clay's graphic design skills came in handy. The bottles have fabulously fun imagery and clever names.
The sodas are intended to be priced at between $10 and $15 for each 12 oz bottle and are planned for launch in medical marijuana-friendly Colorado next month. California, however, remains a wild card. THC-infused sodas cannot be transported across state lines according to Federal laws (despite individual state laws regarding medicinal marijuana use), so the product would have to be manufactured in California to be sold there.
Plans are tentatively to have it in California dispensaries in the spring.
Hermes Creative Director and fashion forward designer, Jean-Paul Gaultier has created both a limited edition ‘Prêt-à-porter’ bottle for Evian water and an ‘Haute Couture’ version (a collaboration with french crystal Baccarat) that yielded 5 exclusive bottles, each named after a major city.
The Evian Pret-a-Porter, or ready-to-wear, Bottle by Jean Paul Gaultier possesses a style that is: “classic, yet modern all at once”. Adorned with a pattern of interlocking snowflakes, the bottle recalls the crisp, icy mountain tops of the French Alps from which Evian Natural Spring Water is derived. Magnified by a unique colour so much known to Gaultier, the majestic blue of the oversized logo and the understated print of the designer's name offers a subtle reminder of a stylish mariner, a mariner that could so easily be found on the shores of Lake Geneva, which the town of Evian borders.
above: the pret-a-porter bottles by Jean Gaultier are available through the shop evian site or at a number of retailers.
After the pure lines of the 'Prêt-a-Porter' 2009 limited edition bottle designed by Jean Paul Gaultier, Evian invites you to discover the Haute Couture collection that the fashion designer has created exclusively for them.
Below are the five bottles (please click on the images to enlarge).
The London Bottle comes complete with crystal tray and goblets:
The magic of crystal comes into its own with each new creation. This exquisite element seems to transform beneath our very eyes: delicate sparkling droplets, a precious undulating pool, light airy bubbles …. Each offers its own subtle and joyful tribute to the purity and exquisiteness of Evian natural spring water.
The Moscow Bottle has crystal 'drops' cascading down the side creating a crystal puddle:
These 5 unique works of art designed by Jean Paul Gaultier have been crafted at the prestigious House of Baccarat, where the know-how perfected over three centuries of craftsmanship experience has been devoted to these exceptional pieces.
The New York Bottle has crystal bubbles gathering at the top and base:
The Melbourne bottle has drips gathering at the top, cascading down the sides and clustered at the base:
The Tokyo Bottle (note the mirrored reflection of the logo in the crystal puddle):
All 5 bottles haute collection bottles will tour the world making appearances at high end stores and then will be auctioned off .
They will return home to France in March to be sold during a special charity auction to raise money for the RAMSAR convention whose work to preserve wetlands around the world has been supported by Evian for the past 10 years.
This is not the first time that special limited edition bottles have been created by designers for Evian. In 2008, Christian Lacroix's bottles for Evian last year also consisted of a pret-a-porter version:
... and a haute couture version (below) , that when auctioned off, remains the priciest bottle of water ever sold, $23,000.00 USD.
Press Release:
Evian Unveils Haute Couture Collection by Jean Paul Gaultier
Friday, 06 February 2009 Atlanta -- Fashion designers know that the key to a good collection combines the reinvention of ideas with underlying signature qualities, and Evian Natural Spring Water is keeping to these same ideals with the release of the newest addition to its designer collection. Remaining true to tradition, Evian has partnered with internationally acclaimed French designer Jean Paul Gaultier to produce five unique and exclusive creations for 2009, the Evian Haute Couture Bottles by Jean Paul Gaultier.
Following the pure yet bold design of the Evian Pret-a-Porter, or ready-to-wear, Bottle by Jean Paul Gaultier, the Haute Couture Bottles celebrate the essential through an astonishing and sublime collection by the famous French designer. Expertly crafted at the prestigious House of Baccarat, only five of the Haute Couture Bottles will be released worldwide, with these few exclusive carafes travelling to capital cities around the globe to be exhibited at select locations. To this end, the collection of cylindrical masterpieces will be returned to France in March, where they will be auctioned off to raise money for the RAMSAR convention, whose work to preserve wetlands around the world has been supported by Evian for the past 10 years.
"Jean Paul Gaultier has consistently pushed the boundaries of fashion. He is revolutionary in his craft, yet always maintains an air of elegance and class in his designs," said Lauren Kinelski, Public Relations Manager for Evian North America. "In this regard, Gaultier was the perfect fit for Evian. Gaultier has transcended the runways of France to become a household name worldwide, much in the same way that Evian has expanded its presence throughout the globe, ascending from a natural spring water in the French Alps enjoyed by the locals to being one of most favored drinking waters on earth."
Both the Evian Pret-a-Porter Bottle and the Evian Haute Couture Bottle by Jean Paul Gaultier made their global debut to the world in Paris, France during one of the world's most glamorous events, Paris Fashion Week. Expertly crafted at the esteemed House of Baccarat, only five of the Haute Couture Bottles will be released worldwide.
Just in time for New York's Fashion Week this February, the Haute Couture "Bubble" Bottle will begin its tour through the most elite of Manhattan's restaurants, hotels, and retailers. The luxury retailer Bergdorf Goodman will be the first U.S. location to showcase one of these objet d'art for public viewing. Following the debut at Bergdorf Goodman, the bottle will travel to selected upscale hotels and restaurants in Manhattan throughout the month of February, including the Soho Grand Hotel, Buddha Bar and Bagatelle Restaurants.
The Gaultier-designed bottles mark the second annual release of high-fashion creations from Evian. In late 2007, the world's most luxurious natural spring water similarly launched the Limited Edition Evian Bottle by Christian Lacroix, which quickly became a favored item with the trendsetting crowd. Christian Lacroix also created a series of Haute Couture Bottles to auction off for charity, with the highest bidder going down in the Guinness Books for the most expensive bottle of water ever sold.
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