Amsterdam Worldwide taps Armenian Legends to re-launch Ararat brandy as cultural icon

AMSTERDAM WORLDWIDE TAPS ARMENIAN LEGENDS TO RE-LAUNCH ARARAT BRANDY AS CULTURAL ICON

Modern day legend targets brandy connoisseurs across Russia, Eastern and Western Europe

www.amsterdamworldwide.com

Amsterdam Worldwide, the international communications agency, will next week unveil its first work for Pernod Ricard with the reinvention of Ararat – a legend and institution in the world of discerning brandy drinkers and a household name in Russia and Eastern Europe.

Ararat is the original, authentic Armenian brandy and Amsterdam Worldwide has created a campaign that reignites a cultural connection between this drink of historic statesmen (Churchill’s favourite tipple) and an inspirational Armenian legend.

Targeting Russians and Eastern Europeans in their home countries as well as Armenian and Russian communities internationally, the centerpiece of the first work is a 15-minute short film directed by the award-winning Shammasian Brothers. ‘Akhtamar’ is a modern day re-telling of a classic Armenian legend of unrequited love.

Akhtamar is set in Armenia and draws on the brandy’s heritage to inspire a new audience to become Ararat ambassadors and champion authentic legends.

The original “Legend of Akhtamar” features an Armenian princess (called Tamar) who lives on Akhtamar Island in Lake Van (in historic Armenia). She was in love with a commoner who would swim from the mainland to the island each night, guided by her candle light. One day her father found out and was very upset. That night, as Tamar held the flickering beacon, he took it from her and smashed it, leaving the boy lost in the middle of the lake. It is said that his dying cries of “Akh, Tamar” (“Oh, Tamar”) can be heard to this day at night.

Amsterdam Worldwide’s re-interpretation opens with stunning shots of the Armenian landscape, and features a young Muscovite (Grigory Dobrygin) who travels to Armenia to meet his girlfriend (Ravshana Kurkova) with a heavy heart at the impossibility of their love.

On his journey he encounters a taxi driver (Armen Dzhigarkhanyan) who, sensing his state of mind, draws the reluctant Grigory into conversation, and during their night-time drive through Yerevan recounts the legend of Akhtamar.

Armenian born actor Armen Dzhigarkhanyan is one of the most recognisable faces in the Soviet and Armenian film industries, having starred in more than 200 films. Akhtamar also features two emerging young talents, Ravshana Kurkova, winner of Best Actress at the International Film Festival of the CIS, and former Bolshoi Theatre pupil, Grigory Dobrygin.

Stephen Hilton, acclaimed movie music composer, wrote the film score. Hilton has worked on movies including Ocean’s 11 and Quantum of Solace. The world famous Armenian ‘duduk’ (woodwind instrument) player Djivan Gasparyan also contributed.

The film, is the first in a series, and is supported by a print and outdoor campaign designed to generate awareness and direct audiences to a campaign microsite (www.ararat-legends.com), where they can watch the film and learn more about the modern relevance of Armenian legends.

Outdoor and print campaign

World-renowned photographer Erwin Olaf shot a series of posters and print executions with backdrops of Akthamar Island and Mount Ararat. These will appear in business, lifestyle and in-flight magazines including Maxim, Kommersant Daily and OK!.

Online

The microsite (www.ararat-legends.com) will be seeded with a social media and blogger outreach campaign crafted to create intrigue, relevance and notoriety about the film and its stars internationally. The campaign will target film, culture and art audiences globally. An online PR campaign will generate grass root discussion and buzz.

Brian Elliott, founder and chief executive of Amsterdam Worldwide, said: “The ‘Legend of Akhtamar’ campaign marks a new beginning for the Ararat brand, underlining Ararat’s leading position as the Armenian brandy and taking the brand beyond the competitive and category conventions by investing in long-form story telling.”

Richard Gorodecky, executive creative director, of Amsterdam Worldwide, said: “This is a huge platform for Ararat that goes well beyond traditional communications and engages a real cultural dialogue.”

Ends

For more information contact Naomi Attard on +44 (0)1452 760 147. Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

ABOUT AMSTERDAM WORLDWIDE

Amsterdam Worldwide was founded in 2008 by CEO Brian Elliott as a full-service, international communications agency. Amsterdam Worldwide has created highly original and multi award-winning work for some of the world's most respected brands, including ASICS Onitsuka Tiger, Chevrolet, Coca Cola, Heineken, IKEA, Mitsubishi, Opel, Sony Ericsson and Panasonic. Amsterdam Worldwide's multi-cultural strategic, creative, digital, media and management teams work in collaboration with clients and agency partners to create highly effective, integrated pan-European and global campaigns. For more than ten years the agency has built passionate customer relationships, delivering results for clients who think big and are open to the innovative and unconventional.

ARARAT BRANDY – BACKGROUND

Ararat is an Armenian brandy that has been produced by the Yerevan Brandy Company since 1887. It is made from Armenian white grapes and spring water, according to a traditional method.

The distinctive aroma and rich bouquet of these Brandies allowed the Yerevan Brandy Company to enjoy considerable success in international exhibitions and tastings. Ararat Brandy is popular not only in Armenia, but in many of the former states of the Soviet Union, chief among them Russia (where it's known under the name Armjanskij Konjak), Georgia, Ukraine and Belarus. In the Russian-speaking countries of the former Soviet Union the Armenian Brandy is marketed as cognac, even though technically it is not. The term "brandy" has never really caught on and the full name of such beverages is "cognac-style wine".

During the Yalta Conference, Winston Churchill was so impressed with the Ararat brandy Dvin given to him by Joseph Stalin that he asked for several cases of it to be sent to him each year. Reportedly 400 bottles of Dvin were shipped to Churchill annually. This brandy was named in honour of the ancient capital Dvin, and was first produced in 1943.

ABOUT THE YEREVAN BRANDY COMPANY (OWNED BY PERNOD RICARD)

Yerevan Brandy Company (YBC) (Armenian: Երևանի Կոնյակի Գործարան) is the leading enterprise of Armenia for the production of alcoholic beverages. Its main brand name is Ararat. The Russian market accounts for about 85% of exports. YBC is owned and operated by the French giant Pernod Ricard.