It took just a short while for distribution to scale to the point where a national ad campaign was warranted. Most of the efforts I saw were online, but there has been a TV effort as well.
The tonality of the branding is comically serious, in the vein of Monty Python. While Hendricks has a somewhat similar tone, it differs in the singular focus on the creature of the Kraken.
The 'movies,' can be seen on the brand website, the brand YouTube Channel, or their Facebook page. They focus on the mythology: the existence, the strength and the survival. They are handled like a Victorian era docufiction (see: Animal Planet, Mermaids, The New Evidence), with a clever witticism at the end of each video. The theme is strong and instantly recognizable across all videos, using only black and white line drawings in the same look and feel as on the label. The digital banners and pre-roll all had the same elements. It worked great because of the consistency, making it recognizable and distinctive- just like the initial experience I had with the bottle.
There is one video that seems off-brand. It's the only live action video, and shows various customers saddling up to the bar, and being hauled off by the tentacles off the Kraken after ordering a signature Kraken beverage. It uses the tagline 'Put a Beast in your Belly,' but shows an external beast instead. I'm curious to see how what seems to be their new campaign continues to evolve.
One other middling complaint is the lack of a recipe for the 'Kraken Bomb,' which is listed in at least 2 of their videos. While it's understandable that they may not have a beer partner they can call out by name, even listing beer type (lager, IPA, ale) would be preferable.
In terms of media, the brand targets men, most likely 25 - 44; based on the tonality of the ads, the live action commercial showing exclusively men, and media placements during Sports and Comedy programs that perform well with this demo. Media seems to be dark for at least half a year now, but social media continues.
While the number of Facebook likes is fairly low (142,476 at the time this post was published) it probably has high visitation due to the public page setting, which I am a strong proponent of. Posts (and tweets) have waned in originality over the last few months (there is a limit to how many times 'Release the Kraken' can be said) Recent facebook posts focus on selling merchandise at the Kraken Store. Serving as another branding touchpoint, merchandise is often overlooked and under thought - not in the case of Kraken. While there is the usual swag that any bartender could expect to receive from a good rep (bottle opener, standard issue tote bag and baseball cap), there are some products that really do surprise and delight. They have well designed rings mimicking the Kraken tentacles, an umbrella with the Kraken sprawling across the underside, and an awesome set of bookends.
While they re-purposed the content quite a bit between the various online touchpoints, it's not a bad idea. It's unlikely that the casual consumer will visit as many of the same branded sites as I have, to see the videos and recipes. Content that seems to appear only on the Journal has some appeal. It's very curated, but they do solicit user 'sightings' as well. Posts are time but not date stamped, making it hard to tell how often this section of the site is updated.
Lastly, there is a Kraken app released in February of 2011, although there have been 2 updated since then. With the goal to steer the ship and precious cargo through treacherous
Retailing for between $22 and $25 a bottle (although I've seen it at retail sold both above and below these pricepoints), the branding is strong, consistent and memorable. In the cocktail bars I frequent, it's near ubiquitous, and I wish them continued success.
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