The concept.
Developed in 1786 by Antonio Benedetto Carpano, Antica Formula is the original formula for vermouth, combining white wine with Vanilla, Saffron, Artemisia and Burnt Sugar to create the vermouth category. It’s an Italian heritage brand produced in small, limited quantities of 25,000 — each bottle being individually numbered.
While Antica may own a 63% share of the premium vermouth category, the majority of consumers never know they have enjoyed it. As a subsidiary under the parent Branca brand, the creative brief for Antica Formula was as such: scale consumer awareness of Antica Formula, building salience as the only luxury vermouth that elevates the classic cocktail.
The challenge.
Get amateur cocktail makers who invest money and effort into cocktails to order and appreciate Antica Formula by getting people to fall in love with a brand they've never heard of (but definitely tried).
Our creative way in was to elevate the aspect of love — specifically, the love of great cocktails and the integral part Antica Formula has in making one — in the updated brand look + feel. Leaning into Romanticism ideals from when Antica Formula was first crafted, we worked to develop a new visual identity that communicated luxurious drama and passion while ensuring consistent and clear bottle and cocktail representation.
To bring this campaign to life, the Madwell team worked with the highly experienced and widely recognized digital illustrator Vanessa Rivera who created photorealistic recreations of our imagined Antica Formula sets.
Group Creative Director—Laura Wasson | Creative Director—Courtney Schopfer | Associate Creative Director—Julia Compton | Senior Copywriter—Sam Dickson | Senior Designer—Emma Wood | Copywriter—Kaitlin Bowen | Designer—Elena Anunciado (myself)
Work done for Madwell
