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At the controls – concept and realisation: the visiontrees team

What do bartenders really need, appreciate and look forward to? A loyalty programme with plenty of perks and a welcome platform for mutual support, the Hubertus Rat encourages exploration and exchange between the country’s top mixmasters – under the Jägermeister umbrella.

Genuinely interested in furthering the art of mixology, this multi-pronged scheme present Jägermeister as a brand that understands and appreciates top-quality bar work, beyond the immediate brand connection, and helps members to push the boundaries of cocktail culture through a variety of measures and campaigns. At the same time, the society promotes a mind change by encouraging specialists to experience Jägermeister’s eminent quality and mixability: In lab-like situations, participants experiment on something entirely new beyond the popular Jäger shot concept.

Named after the patron saint of the hunt – St. Hubertus, a hapless 8^th century huntsman whose epiphany of the glowing crucifix, hovering between a magnificent stag’s antlers, inspired the drink’s iconic logo – the Hubertus Rat initiation starts with an exclusive, invite-only seminar in Jägermeister’s hometown of Wolfenbüttel. No swanky affair, but a down-to-earth training camp with a clear focus on exploration, this welcome event is all about a love of mixology and high-quality, high-proof materials.

Now bona fide Hubertus Rat members, participants receive regular visits from Jägermeister trend managers and get to play with specially developed high-end bar tools – further incentives are in the planning! And while there is a public portal to keep the outside world up-to-date on Hubertus activities, the Rat’s members interact via a closed Facebook community to exchange new recipes, ideas and approaches.

The essence (in spirit and spirit) of Jägermeister, this brand-based society embodies what Jägermeister is all about – a genuine love of flavour, skill and the finest ingredients!

Link to Hubertus Rat Webpage

As part of our Jägermeister brand engagement, focussed on promoting the liqueur to Germany’s trend gastronomy pros, visiontrees whipped up an entire trade fair concept centred around an oasis in a box. The basic premise: dominant bar meets stylish and inviting lounge, a tranquil space dedicated to the drink’s finer properties, a welcome haven to sit down, relax and focus: on each lovingly selected detail, herb and the potent liqueur itself.

With a clever blend of striking strong lines and cosy appeal, the stand’s gauze-covered exterior radiates subtle chic. Akin to a super stylish black box, it takes visitors away from the hall’s hustle and bustle and into a sleek, self-contained space designed to encourage rest and rediscovery. Once inside, modern design classics and vintage accents, matte black understatement and flashes of the brand’s trademark orange join the mix. To underscore the drink’s surprising variety of flavours, the concept references the drink’s special bouquet of select herbs, from bitter orange to galangal, all across the stand: from detailed, naturalistic illustrations to close-up encounters with the dried flavourings right down to their fresh variants, scattered through space as fragrant, decorative touches.  And for those blessed with a true mixmaster’s mind, there is a clever aroma chart to highlight potential flavour combinations for a range of future drinks.

But see for yourselves: After pouring a good six months of our time into all details of this beauty – from design and communications right down to the individual stand contents and tastings – and after decades of Jägermeister absence from such trade fairs,  we are really, truly proud of the result. And more than pleased by the fantastic feedback from client and visitors alike. Let’s drink to that!

We’re pleased to announce our latest venture: Germany’s venerable stag’s head brand asked us to promote their punchy concoction to those who shape public opinion and the brand’s perception. Not the general masses, that is, but the tastemakers behind the scenes and in the know, the industry and gastronomy pros with the right savvy and discerning taste to select spot-on spirits for the right occasion: buyers, bartenders and representatives of Germany’s trend gastronomy and bar hot spots.

To communicate the drink’s image change among this hip crowd, and to circumvent the tricky and rarely subtle branding on location, we decided to go straight to the source of everyone’s favourite tipple and drinks recommendation – the bartenders themselves.

Our multi-pronged approach of pinpointed PR, international bartending apprenticeship grants, exclusive training events, bespoke trade fair stands, mixing competitions and even a dedicated association for the crème of Germany’s bartending elite helps to move brand perception beyond the classic chaser shot – after all, Jägermeister’s flavour profile works surprisingly well with a wide range of mixers.

So far, the response has been more than encouraging. And there’s plenty more to come … we’ll keep you posted!

Visiontrees takes the lead with a truly spirited brand

Our first outing as a lead agency takes us all the way to Spain – and puts us in charge of a true icon: “El Toro de Osborne”. To promote this national treasure, we decided to take the bull by the horns with comprehensive communications strategy and powerful campaign for the brand’s German market: a dedicated short film festival curated by German actor Daniel Brühl.

Founded in 1772, Osborne – and its characteristic black bull, El Toro de Osborne – have become a seminal symbol of the Spanish spirit. Today, the international group distributes a spirited line-up of brandy, sherry and select wines infused with the toro’s temperament.

As part of the brand’s push to reach a younger, discerning audience and reinforce the bull’s iconic image, Osborne asked us to introduce El Toro’s warmth and hot-blooded character to Germany’s cool and collected crowd. And who better to spread the word than Spanish-born movie star Daniel Brühl?

Previously involved with an Osborne charity drive, Brühl once again joins up with the brand to steer (no pun intended) inspired minds and budding visual geniuses towards the first ever Osborne Short Film Festival. Playing on the strong, immediate symbolism of El Toro, the competition’s motto, “Der Stier in mir” (the bull inside me) encourages film lovers and makers, amateurs and pros, beginners and seasoned directors alike to capture a brief sequence of gripping, powerful and spell-binding moments and submit the result to osborne.de/festival before December 31st, 2011.

As a flanking media measure, visiontrees developed an exciting interactive Facebook film that allows followers to produce and distribute their own short movie, starring Daniel Brühl himself.  Brief, effective and to the point, this viral campaign – a fiery affair with lots of love, drama and a nasty foe – encourages users to become their own director, slips their Facebook friends into the cast and sends the enigmatic El Toro on a rampage through the Wild Wild West. Naturally, good triumphs in the end … thanks to a generous dose of fire water.

With prizes for the three best submissions in both film and animation (to the tune of a cool 6k for each category), participation is well worth it. Winners will be chosen by the festival’s jury of seasoned pros (Daniel Brühl, Esther Gronenborn, Sandro Steinborn and Jim Lacy) and honoured at an awards ceremony during the upcoming Berlinale 2012.

The entire campaign is scheduled to run until summer 2012 – and there’s plenty more to come. We’ll keep you posted!

Visit the festival page: Osborne Kurzfilmfestival Website & interaktive short film with Daniel Brühl

visiontrees for Osborne

As part of our lead agency engagement, visiontrees oversees the entire El Toro campaign including overall strategy and concept, coordination of all involved agencies and realisation of flanking social media measures.

To this end, we devise and direct all relevant aspects of the campaign: a cool brand strategy, a dove-tailed media campaign, a coherent CI, a credible social media concept and an overall communications schedule to ensure that El Toro gets the temperamental and authentic outing the brand deserves.

Our partners:
flora&faunavisions (design and festival management)
achtung! Kommunikation (PR & web)
mid.media (online media)

visiontrees goes fashion – introducing international fashion brand Bershka to the German market with a targeted PR campaign and shop opening event in Berlin’s prime shopping district.

On August 25th, 2011, Spanish brand Bershka opened its first ever German flagship store on Berlin’s Tauentzienstraße – supported by a visiontrees PR campaign.

Launched in Spain in 1998, Bershka is the latest addition to the international Inditex empire ( ZARA and Massimo Dutti). A prominent fixture in 50+ countries around the world, Bershka supplies savvy teenagers and young adults with hip high-street looks at affordable prices.

Working closely with lead agency Dojo Berlin, visiontrees devised an engaging PR strategy to highlight all aspects of the brand, its German market launch and the innovative Tauentzien flagship store: from thorough consultation and creation of promotional materials right through to national PR (lifestyle media, mainstream press and key bloggers) and targeted word-of-mouth amplification thanks to our select network of key media professionals and opinion leaders.

With plenty of fashion, the latest DJs and several live-acts to spice up the mix, the actual launch (incl. opening reception, launch party, photo op and store presentation) is guaranteed to hit the spot!

Opening event production by flora&faunavisions

Press Release (German)
www.bershka.com

Bershka Store Opening Pictures

Photography by Bershka & John Benjamin Savary

CDR Berlin is supported by: Jägermeister & Sennheiser

Supported & co-produced by: visiontrees

CDR Berlin 2008

The brandnew VISIONS book in cooperation with flora&faunavisions has arrived and is ready to be sent out to our friends and partners all over the world! Watch your mailboxes for some lovely post on our work, inspiration and team…

In vision we trust! Yours, visiontrees

Reaping the rewards

John Benjamin Savary branches out to new shores. After a decade at eventlabs and Bacardi GmbH, the marketing specialist makes the most of his expertise – with a new company for marketing strategy and below the line (BTL) communication, visiontrees.

From radical stunt to classic campaign, visiontrees gets the right people to look, listen and engage with your brand: with communication concepts, social media, word-of-mouth, branded content or integrated campaigns to strengthen brand loyalty and innovation.

To this end, Savary enters into a strategic partnership with Berlin-based agency flora&faunavisions for a cross-pollination of skills and disciplines. With immersive know-how and an ear to the ground, the new company complements the flora&faunavisions design with strong concepts and marketing expertise. Rooted in this fertile soil, visiontrees offers solutions that are artistic, visionary, on point – and on budget.

To summarise: No detours, no hot air. Just inspired, bespoke projects and ideas born out of a shared vision and professionalism. After all, it’s about the right fit – for client, agency and audience alike.

John Benjamin Savary

visiontrees website // flora&faunavisions website