Authenticity and roots are pervasive values in the drinks industry: the brands that want to show longevity (since …) or origins (place…) or people (family…) are countless. So does it mean that new brands cannot start their own legacy? No, far from it.
In 2016 Brand Reveal and Megusta created for Lost Flavour the Mavem Aguardente, a premium Portuguese brandy. Starting from a blank sheet, we wanted to avoid the “old is for boring people” trap, and looked at the product story to shape the brand proposition with credibility.
Mavem is produced in the Tejo Valley in Portugal at sea level. This was the starting point to everything. In central Portugal, the season temperature amplitudes are very strong. As a result, in winter, brandies develops fruit aromas and in summer the hot temperatures favour the emergence of wood flavours. This produces rich aroma palettes worth discovering. We call this “Dynamic Maturation”.
The Portuguese aguardente category is dormant at best. Yet everybody is familiar with it, and believes there is nothing new. A bit like gins a few years ago. So, we felt that the brand purpose was to make discover all that Aguardentes have to offer.
So, the “discovery” proposition appeared as a compelling and unifying concept. We connected the brand discovery purpose with the Portuguese Discovery Era of the XVth and XVIth centuries where Portuguese sailors courageously left Portugal from the Tejo valley, sailed all over the world to discover continents and unlocked a new world of flavours.
To express and house this world, we adopted the Azulejos art with its distinctive blue and white colour identity. The richness promise of the brand is expressed in a “Manuelino” arquitectural style, inspired from the maritime and mythological world of the Discoveries. The brand symbol itself is rooted into the Portuguese character, a globe, an astrolabe and a grape. The name blends together “mar” (sea), “vem” (come) and “ave” (aguardente vinica).
The brand key proposition is to encourage discoveries and speaks to an audience of well off young adults who are entrepreneurs, want to live their lives on their own terms and appreciate the value of origins. The brand is available as the “Mavem” variant of 500 ml and the “Mavem Real” 40 years old limited edition.
The Mavem brand creation journey shows that authenticity and roots are not reserved to old brands. Young brands too can claim these values. Connecting a product proposition together with an historical frame and with consumers needs and wants, is a way to seed roots in a brand so that it can develop its legacy. http://www.mavem.pt
Brand Reveal specialises in Strategy, Marketing & Commercial development. With a genuine affection for wines & spirits.