Mr. Yu — Case Study
Crafting a powerful brand story for a Korean-American spirit
THE CHALLENGE
Ever heard of soju? If you haven’t, you’re not alone. The challenge here was twofold: 1) How do we educate American consumers on soju — a popular Korean drink — while 2) in parallel, also positioning Mr. Yu as the go-to source for soju? The answer? Build an authentic brand with a one-of-a-kind story.
THE SOLUTION
Introducing an unfamiliar beverage to the market is no easy task. Historically, consumers stick with what they know. What’s that old saying, “Why reinvent the vodka?” As a fully new brand, we decided to lean into Mr. Yu’s personal story as a way to educate consumers and build a loyal audience. Instead of pretending to compete with big-box names, we decided to intentionally stand out. We wanted to be different, by design. From the placement of Mr. Yu on the bottle, to including details about his journey as a Korean-American in marketing assets, we wanted to plant a flag that this is a drink as unique as the person behind it. It might not be for everyone — and that’s the point.
DELIVERABLES:
-Brand Tagline
-Value Proposition
-Universal Positioning Statement
-Casual Talking Points
-Brand Manifesto / Story
-Mr. Yu Bio
“Born in Korea, made for the world”
THE OUTCOME
I worked with the Mr. Yu team to develop and deliver a tailored, turnkey messaging package including everything they need to get the brand off the ground. With a bit of collaboration, we completed the project in less than three weeks. A few weeks later, they were selling in multiple stores and shipping product across the country. Today, they are an award-winning drink: “ADI International Spirits Competition Winner” and “Silver Medal for International Asian Spirit”
Cheers to that!