Polar Ice (vodka)
 Polar Ice 750ml | |
| Type | Vodka |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Corby Distilleries Limited |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Introduced | ca. 1984 |
| Alcohol by volume | 40% |
| Proof (US) | 80 |
| Related products | List of vodkas |
Polar Ice is a Canadian vodka produced by Corby Distilleries Ltd. Produced from Canadian wheat, it is quadruple distilled, which its vendors claim rids the vodka of microscopic impurities. The vodka is an eighty proof spirit. It is available unflavoured, and in berry and maple flavours.
History
The POLAR ICE™ Vodka brand was developed in the early 1980’s by McGuinness Distillers Ltd., then a division of Nabisco Canada. Nabisco Canada was a large packaged goods company and used McGuinness as a training ground for executives that Nabisco viewed as having high potential. This resulted in an influx of highly talented marketing executives into the company.
As McGuinness was being managed on a “harvest” rather than an “invest” strategy, the McGuinness executives lacked large advertising budgets and recognized that innovative product and packaging ideas were the only way to differentiate their brands in a cluttered, highly regulated marketplace. As a result the company became known in the eighties for its innovative new products program.[1]
In 1984 Michael Simeone, then Vice President of Marketing at McGuinness, turned his attention to the vodka category. At the time the vodka category in Canada was dominated by domestically produced, pseudo-Russian brands, all of which were identically priced. The only premium-priced vodka was the market leader, Smirnoff.
Simeone recognized that to stand out in this category an entirely different approach was needed. From research Simeone knew that the serious vodka drinker stored their vodka in the freezer and consumed it straight. Simeone reasoned that if he could develop a product designed to appeal specifically to these vodka aficionados, the more casual vodka consumers would eventually follow them to the brand.[2]
This gave birth to the POLAR ICE Vodka positioning statement – “The first vodka specially developed for exceptionally pure, smooth taste when served frozen”. This statement appeared prominently on the front of every bottle.
The package had to communicate the brand’s premium quality, convey the brand’s unique positioning and stand out from all the other vodkas. Simeone’s idea was a premium black, opaque bottle - a first in Canada - with a simple, white polar bear logo. The final package design was done by Derek Timmerman of Timmerman and Associates.
Equally importantly, the product in the bottle had to deliver on the marketing promise. Simeone turned to Michael Delevante, the company’s Technical Services Manager and his team. Delevante developed an exceptional vodka by doing two things. First he took the “heart” of the standard distillation process and redistilled it in a pot still. Pot stills were typically used to produce high end products such as cognac. Second, although by law in Canada all vodkas had to be charcoal filtered, Delevante reasoned that sometimes charcoal filtering can leave a slight aftertaste. Since his product was already exceptionally pure, he ensured that just the barest minimum of charcoal needed to meet the legal requirement was used. This resulted in a product that was exceptionally pure, smooth and clean tasting.[3]
POLAR ICE Vodka was launched in Canada in October, 1984, at a price that made it the most expensive vodka in Canada. Despite little advertising and initial concerns that consumers would not accept either an opaque bottle or the super premium pricing, POLAR ICE Vodka became an immediate success.
In 1987 Corby Distilleries Ltd. purchased McGuinness Distillers and took control over marketing and sales for all McGuinness products, including POLAR ICE Vodka. Corby made the changes that have resulted in the product that is on the market today.
Awards
- Double Gold Medal Winner - the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2003[4]
- Arctic Berry - Silver Medal Winner - the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2008[5]
- Northern Maple - Gold Medal Winner by the Beverage Testing Institute 2008, Gold Medal Winner by the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2008[5]
References
- ↑ Hiram Walker-Allied Vintners Ambassador Magazine - Issue No. 14, August 1988
- ↑ Marketing Magazine - September 1985
- ↑ McGuinness - A Pictorial Review 1905-1988 - published in 1988
- ↑ http://sfspiritscomp.com/pdf/2003_SpiritsClass.pdf
- 1 2 http://sfspiritscomp.com/pdf/2008_SpiritsClass.pdf