Kraken Rum
 | |
| Type | Spiced Rum |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Proximo Spirits |
| Country of origin | Trinidad and Tobago |
| Introduced | 2010 |
| Alcohol by volume | 47% |
| Proof (US) | 94 |
| Color | Black |
| Related products | List of rum producers |
| Website | krakenrum.com |
Kraken Black Spiced Rum is a Caribbean black spiced rum.[1] It is distributed in the United States by Proximo Spirits, and named after the kraken, a mythical giant squid-like sea monster.[2] However, the bottle has a rendering of the actual giant squid with a reference to its scientific name, Architeuthis Dux.
Product description and packaging
Kraken Rum was introduced in 2010.[3] The base rum is from Trinidad, distilled from naturally sweet molasses made from locally-grown sugar cane. The rum is aged 1–2 years and then blended with a mix of 11 spices, including cinnamon, ginger and clove.[1][4][5] The liquid is black, revealing hints of brown when held up to the light.[6]
The bottle is styled after a Victorian rum bottle, with two hoop handles based on the tradition of hanging a bottle to prevent breakages. The bottle has a black and white paper label featuring an illustration of a Kraken sea creature. The bottle's back label states that it is "imported rum from the Caribbean blended with natural flavors."[2]
Beginning in 2015, Proximo began selling Kraken Ghost White Rum exclusively in Mexico.
Marketing
In 2013, two outdoor 3D billboards went up in Chicago, with a kraken sea creature's giant tentacle pulling a consumer out of an apartment window in an advertisement for Kraken Rum.[7] The ad was created by New York agency Dead As We Know It,[7] which also produced several animated TV spots for the brand, combining 2D and 3D animations in a 19th-century scientific style, as well as an iPhone and Android app, The Kraken: The Simulation Application for Nautical Maneuvering, a game in which players steer a ship through kraken-infested waters.[3][8][9] Later that year, Blur Studio created animated spots featuring a kraken destroying a ship to the tune of Bobby Darin's 1959 version of the song "Beyond the Sea".[10]
Kraken Rum is the sponsor of the Kitschies, a British speculative fiction award.[11]
Honors
Kraken has been named an Impact "Hot Brand" by Impact magazine.[3]
References
- ^ a b "The Kraken Rum," darkrum.co. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
- ^ a b "The Kraken," The Dieline, October 28, 2009.
- ^ a b c “Proximo Backs The Kraken Rum With New $10 Million Ad Campaign,” Shanken News Daily, November 20, 2013.
- ^ KrakenRum.com. "Frequently Asked Questions". krakenrum.com. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
- ^ “The Kraken Black Spiced Rum,” Cocktail Hunter. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
- ^ “Kraken Rum,” Rum Journey. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
- ^ a b Tim Nudd, “Kraken Rum Billboards Will Kidnap You and Squeeze You to Death,” Ad Week, January 25, 2013.
- ^ “The Kraken Rum: Existence,” Creativity. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
- ^ EDW Lynch, “The Kraken: The Simulation Application for Nautical Maneuvering,” laughingsquid.com, March 3, 2011.
- ^ Bryant Frazer, “The Kraken Rum: Black Ink,” Studio Daily, December 2, 2013.
- ^ David Barnett, "The Kitschie awards have their Tentacles in the best genre fiction," The Guardian, January 13, 2012.