Brand Mysticism: Cultivate Creativity and Intoxicate Your Audience

Grasse (The Cocktail Workshop), the marketing mind behind Hendrick’s Gin and Sailor Jerry Rum, and journalist Goldfarb (Hacking Whiskey) offer a zippy guide to creating successful brands. At the heart of their approach is “Brand Mysticism,” the idea that a product’s branding should tell a story “every bit as transportive as movies, music, and art.” The book’s first part covers the early days of Grasse’s ad company, when his main strategy was, in Grasse’s words, seeing “how far we could push extremes of good taste” (one campaign used photos of serial killers to sell clothes). In part two, Grasse distills nine lessons from his experience in the booze business, including using “great packaging” as a “magical ingredient” for success (Grasse calls the packaging of Sailor Jerry rum “intentionally... kind of shitty”); and tossing “creative grenades,” or publicity stunts that help tell a brand’s story (the team’s Eau de Musc, a “beaver anus whiskey” made with castoreum from beavers, is a nod to the large beaver population in New Hampshire, the distillery’s home). While the expletive-studded language and “fuck off” attitude won’t appeal to everyone, entrepreneurs and marketers will find sound advice for standing out among the rollicking tales. This one’s full of spirit. Agent: Clare Pelino, Pro Literary. (Oct.)