To communicate Shanghai White’s distinct qualities and appeal to consumers eager to embrace elements of different cultures, our strategy was to create a comprehensive brand story emphasising the East-West confluence. We started with a unique and strategic brand narrative set in 1930s Shanghai. This era proved a richly evocative setting to express the brand’s values and aspirations—to create a vodka that transported our consumers to a world of exotic glamour. Developing a positioning around 'A Taste of Exotic Tradition' then creating tactics and activities to express this positioning and design idea for our discerning consumer, meant that all communication would need to be extremely beautiful, engaging, and create desire for the product. Our campaign would need to effortlessly imprint the idea of Eastern culture and tradition without seeming cliché.

Our theme, Shangahi Noir inspired 360 brand activation for Shangahi White. From the brand identity, to the stunning brand book, brand ambassador’s kit, and custom-named signature cocktails, every touchpoint (both internally for marketers, and for consumers) expressed the core essence of Shanghai White’s positioning. We developed a duty free experience, complete with tasting stations, art deco displays and 1930s qipao costumes to be worn for cocktail tastings. Our cinematic brand movie is played at retail and also as a training tool internally. The brand voice was used consistently across all touchpoints, including advertising and POS materials. The brand launch in Hong Kong focused on our theme and brought the brand story to life. In less than six months after it launched in May 2009, Shanghai White captured a significant share of Hong Kong’s premium vodka market—far surpassing Diageo’s expectations.

In less than six months after it launched in May 2009, Shanghai White captured a significant share of Hong Kong’s premium vodka market—far surpassing Diageo’s expectations. Creating this emotive story for a new-to-world brand from Asia helped us to launch successfully in Hong Kong and begin planning for new seed cities. Both visually and verbally, we created a compelling concept which has helped Shanghai White win the hearts of Diageo stakeholders and consumers alikeSheyan Patel, Global Marketing Shui Jing Fang, said: "You deserve a great deal of the praise that Shanghai White is receiving from consumers, customers and the trade alike. The brand is stunning and we're confident that it will make it's mark as Asia's first luxury premium vodka."