Brandwashed

country, I discovered something surprising. Most Russians hate the taste of vodka and hate the accompanying ritual (they even have to scarf down food afterward to get rid of the burning taste in their throats). In other words, they don’t do it because they enjoy it—they do it because it’s simply what everyone else does—it generates a sense of belonging and camaraderie. Plus, there were no alternative rituals.
Which is when I thought, Huh.
By introducing a new drinking ritual, one that people actually enjoyed, maybe I could not only gain awareness for a new brand but also show the Russians a new (and healthier) way to drink vodka.
Now, the thing about the scol ritual is that it requires that everyone drink at exactly the same speed: fast (which was actually bad for the vodka company, because a person who drinks too much

too fast will also be on the floor that much more quickly, thus reducing overall vodka intake). This countrywide ritual was like a fraternity during hazing week; it was creating peer pressure to binge drink. By altering the ritual, my hope was that we could change at least the speed of drinking.

country, I discovered something surprising. Most Russians hate the taste of vodka and hate the accompanying ritual (they even have to scarf down food afterward to get rid of the burning taste in their throats). In other words, they don’t do it because they enjoy it—they do it because it’s simply what everyone else does—it generates a sense of belonging and camaraderie. Plus, there were no alternative rituals.
Which is when I thought, Huh.
By introducing a new drinking ritual, one that people actually enjoyed, maybe I could not only gain awareness for a new brand but also show the Russians a new (and healthier) way to drink vodka.
Now, the thing about the scol ritual is that it requires that everyone drink at exactly the same speed: fast (which was actually bad for the vodka company, because a person who drinks too much too fast will also be on the floor that much more quickly, thus reducing overall vodka intake). This countrywide ritual was like a fraternity during hazing week; it was creating peer pressure to binge drink. By altering the ritual, my hope was that we could change at least the speed of drinking.