Stark, a totally new brand of RTD, was being launched to a target that had outright rejected them. The small 26,000E budget and sophisticated audience meant a traditional marketing campaign was out of the question.We invented a buzzword, ‘Starkish’, an adjective that embodied the same values as the brand – purity and good taste. We then created our own media channels through high profile media personalities and iconic NZ brands. This ensured credibility for the brand, was guaranteed to get beneath the target’s radar and generated huge amounts of free media time and publicity.

The word infiltrated pop culture at all levels, from high fashion to bar conversations and Stark became the drink to be seen with. There was a nationwide sell-out of the product, 4.5 hours of free airtime reaching 1.6 million people, and a 37% growth in our clients RTD sales.

To get ‘Starkish’ out there, we offered top media personalities a trip to NY for the most high profile use of the word. We also knitted ‘Starkish’ into iconic New Zealand brands, had it knitted into a hit song, and created online debate through thestarkishdebate.blogspot.com. At the peak of the starkish hype, we linked ‘Starkish’ with the drink ‘Stark’ at an exclusive launch party.

Our target was sophisticated females, aged 18-30, who until now had outright rejected RTD’s. These women had high amounts of disposable income and were incredibly discerning, allowing their purchases to define who they were.