FRATELLI BRANCA DISTILLERIE | BR… BRANCAMENTA | 1975
Four Consonants, Carved into Italian Advertising History / FRATELLI BRANCA DISTILLERIE "BR… BRANCAMENTA"
"Brrr." Just four letters, and somehow they carry the brand name, how to drink it, and the sensation all at once. This campaign, which began in 1971, is said to have become the most famous piece of onomatopoeia in the history of Italian advertising.
The problem
In the 1960s, as economic growth and the rise of individualism fueled a desire for new flavors, Fratelli Branca Distillerie developed Brancamenta, an innovative liqueur made from herbs and spices with the addition of peppermint oil from Piedmont. The story goes that the idea for the product came from an anecdote about Maria Callas, who would add mint leaves to her Fernet-Branca before going on stage.
The idea
Footage of a glass made of ice shattering with the sound "Brrr"—paired with just four consonants that hint at the brand name—became a formula that conveyed both how the drink should be served (with ice) and the feeling of surprise and pleasure, all at the same time.
What happened
In 1975, this piece by STUDIO CEI won GOLD.
Afterthought
What draws me in is the sheer strength of this "omission." It doesn't even say the whole brand name. And yet everything still gets across. That kind of necessity in an idea doesn't fade even after half a century. It's frustrating that there isn't more information to dig into, but it made me want to learn more about the aesthetics of Italian advertising from this era.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Gold 1975
Featured in
- The Ear Catches On FirstFrom an ad that introduced itself with four consonants, to a one-second quiz.
- Ads Decided How We EatAds that stopped explaining taste started explaining how to drink and eat instead
