Martin Miller’s Gin has launched a new art-focused campaign, dubbed “From Madness to Genius.” The Zamora Company-owned brand’s new brand positioning was inspired by the brand’s namesake founder.
Launching this month, Martin Miller’s From Madness to Genius campaign uses a series of artistic assets from the Surrealist movement that nod to its core brand principles, including transformation, process and vision. It points to the brand’s journey “from a ‘mad’ idea to a genius gin” and is inspired by Martin Miller himself who, along with his co-founders, challenged the conventions of Gin production when he launched the brand in 1999.
“We went back to who the founder was, what his thought process was, how he worked, how he saw life, and his vision for gin,” said Robert Eastham, global sales and marketing director for Martin Miller’s Gin. “In today’s world, you need to engage with your consumers emotionally, and we thought that we had a great story that could go further down the line than just telling people how our gin is made and what it’s made of.”
The new campaign has launched with a series of visuals influenced by the Surrealist movement. Each piece in the series incorporates a red dotted line to represent transformation. “Routed in the brand’s DNA is transformation and duality, taking elements that transform each other, in the same way that an artist transforms an idea into a piece of art,” said Eastham. “Or, how Martin actually transformed his ideas into a genius-quality gin that is recognised across the category.”
“Ironically, the chaos of the pandemic sharpened our thinking and confirmed the relevance of this new direction,” added Eastham. “This marks a new beginning for the global Martin Miller’s Gin business and a new generation of gin drinkers. Our new positioning will strengthen our brand in the digital sphere and aid our connection to consumers in these strange times.
“Meanwhile, From Madnes To Genius is all about passion to do something well, according to one’s own criteria. It means taking a stance and running with it regardless of the outcome. The founder’s dream was to create the best gin in the world, whatever the cost, and he achieved a liquid masterpiece in this creative process.”
Martin Miller’s has launched a new website to company the campaign, which includes interactive touchpoints and links to e-commerce platforms. “We want to be able to create a click and shop experience on the ‘Where to Buy’ page of our website, and give consumers direct links to various retailers’ online stores,” said Eastham. “They might be the key big retailers of the high street, or they might be smaller, we’ll let the consumer choose. It’s basically about telling consumers in all of our markets where they can find the product.”
On top of the campaign, Martin Miller’s has partnered with the Affordable Art Fair and will act as the exclusive drinks partner for the event.
Running online between March 12 and April 5, the partnership will see the commissioning of original artworks exploring the “From Madness To Genius” concept, educational talks and tastings with global ambassadors, and themed installations. The brand will also align itself with the flagship October event in Battersea, London.