Tangerine Promotions won the toasts of its client, CIROC, by creating a custom product that evoked the essence of the luxury brand vodka in a campaign that delivered eye-popping ROI. Tangerine had a history of crafting winning promo initiatives for CÎROC, which is why the high-end beverage label contacted the Chicago-area distributor for help on a pivotal rush order.

The challenge before Tangerine was significant: Design and deliver a custom winter-themed gift-with-purchase that would spark excitement about the cold-season launch of CÎROC’s French Vanilla Vodka. The promo product would go to retailers, which would use the item to help drive sales of the stylishly bottled liquor. The solution was needed in a matter of weeks.

Up to the challenge, Tangerine’s in-house designers spearheaded the creation of an ingenious bottle sleeve in the form of a winter “puff” jacket. Indeed, the white sleeve had the high-fashion look of a jacket CÎROC’s ideal customer – urban, sophisticated, hip – might wear on a brisk winter’s day. Featuring CÎROC’s branding, the sleeve included an open/close zipper just as a coat would. Tangerine, which is owned by Los Angeles-based BAMKO, produced the product domestically in six weeks.

“You have to really dig in to understand the subjective elements of the brands you’re working with and trust your creative department – we’re fortunate to have a great one – to bring those brand elements to life through product design. For us, it’s all about knowing the brand.” Catherine Iannuzzi, Tangerine Promotions

The innovative design of the sleeves combined with the on-brand style and tight tie-in to the campaign purpose thrilled CÎROC. “They knew as soon as they saw it that they had a winner,” says Catherine Iannuzzi, VP of operations at Tangerine. “Sometimes a design just captures the essence of a project.”

Further, the bottle sleeve was instrumental in spurring real-world results. “Social media impressions were through the roof, sales exceeded internal projections by more than 20%, and the stores that had our GWP had an inventory turn rate nearly three times that of other locations,” says Iannuzzi. “Given the low quantity of sleeves distributed – 500 – this was an amazing return for the amount invested.” That fact was not lost on CÎROC or its retailers. “They were effusive in their praise,” says Iannuzzi.

So how did Tangerine pull it off? “You have to really dig in to understand the subjective elements of the brands you’re working with and trust your creative department – we’re fortunate to have a great one – to bring those brand elements to life through product design,” Iannuzzi says. “For us, it’s all about knowing the brand. This was a true team effort.”