Just in 72 hours after sentencing the former minister of transportation and communications of Lithuanian Republic Eligijus Masiulis in bribing case we created, designed, produced, and got into stores a special drink Paskoline (Loan Bitter). As alcohol advertising is banned in Lithuania packaging design had to do all the job – excite the nation, tell the story and sell the product which it did in the very first day.

The first and the only intended batch was sold out the very first day. Following the strong demand, Pakruojis Manor Distillery have included Paskoline (Loan Bitter) into their regular assortment. Today you can find it in brick-and-mortar and online stores.

The former minister of transportation and communications of Lithuanian Republic Eligijus Masiulis was caught red handed taking a bribe of 90 thousand euros from an influential business conglomerate in 2016. The bribe was hidden in an empty vodka box and Eligijus Masiulis tried to prove it was a loan by coming up with a hand written contract. The following court case became a test of democracy in Lithuania as cynical business conglomerate could not only buy political influence but win the case in the court of the Lower court. The nation was furious, but the justice eventually prevailed at the Higher court. To celebrate that we created, designed, produced, and got into the stores a special drink Loan Bitter. All in 72 hours. The nation was excited, and Loan Bitter was everywhere – in the news and social network. All bottles sold the very first day and the rumor goes General Prosecutors office stored few boxes of the drink as well.

The former minister of transportation and communications of Lithuanian Republic Eligijus Masiulis was sentenced to jail on 22nd of October 2023. We saw an opportunity to create a special drink to celebrate that. As alcohol advertising is banned in Lithuania, thus the product had to excite the nation and tell the story all on its own. And we had to do it extremely fast as the case was still fresh in nations minds – all in 72 hours. It was a tremendous test in extreme cooperation between recipe creation, production, branding, packaging design and production, bottling and distribution. The project was delivered on a shoestring budget of 5 000 euros and 2 000 bottles were produced in the first batch.

The independent Pakruojis Manor Distillery produced a special drink to celebrate the trumph of justice, i.e. Eligijus Masiulis sentencing to jail. Why a drink? Because Eligijus Masiulis was bribed by a business conglomerate that dominates the alcohol production and sales in Lithuania and the bribe was delivered in a vodka box.

Product name - Paskoline (Loan Bitter) is a word play on loan (Eligijus Masiulis claimed that the bribe was a loan) and type of drink – bitter. Its design tells the coruption story.

Loan Bitter spoke to all lithuanians as all the country was holding its breath while following the trial. It embraces the sense of drama, political falsehood, and the bittersweet irony around the bribing scandal.

Design tells the coruption story and its ending. The ending is the first impression you get from taking a look at the box (which makes a great links to the coruption case as the bribe came in a vodka box) and the bottle – the prison cell window bars. Behind the bottle‘s front label a detachable note – a contract template – is inserted in case police shows up.

The art direction is minimalistic so the story could come to the fore. The black materials and quality finish set the tone. The product name which is a key to the idea is front and central and every element works in unison to tell the story.

We created, designed, produced, and got into the stores Paskoline (Loan Bitter) in 72 hours. The nation got excited, and Paskoline (Loan Bitter) was everywhere – in the news and social network. All 2000 bottles from the first batch sold the very first day and the rumor goes General Prosecutors office stored few boxes of the drink as well. Following the strong demand, Pakruojis Manor Distillery have included Paskoline (Loan Bitter) into their regular assortment.