Johari is a handcrafted specialty gin that encapsulates the vibrant essence of a country that never sleeps. It brings people together and elevates life’s moments.

The Tanzanian alcohol industry is primarily dominated by expensive whiskey, and gin has not been something many people, if any, would pick up as their drink of choice in any context. Even with the Juniperus Procera Berry being indigenous to the country, strangely enough, gin just hasn’t found its footing in this market.

We took on the challenge of reshaping perceptions and influencing behaviour by tapping into the deep patriotism of Tanzanian people.

Our role was to introduce Johari to the market, positioning it as more than just a premium gin—but as a product and brand that resonated with Tanzanians, connecting with their values and sense of identity.

Travelling to Tanzania to conduct our primary research for the investigation, we saw first-hand how rich the country’s heritage is, but simultaneously, how its people are embracing the evolution of their abundant nation; welcoming new approaches to the modern world whilst paying homage to their history. Johari, as a product and a brand, is so deeply rooted in the indigenous treasures of Tanzania. We wanted to make sure we encapsulated this in how we told Johari’s story.

We needed to get people to choose Johari because it was quality gin, but also because it was a product that was created to foster ‘togetherness’ and commemorate Tanzanians as a people.

From watching each step of the distilling process at the warehouse, walking through the city spice markets, speaking to locals, partying with locals, visiting bars and restaurants where the gin would be sold, to tasting some of the world’s most renowned gin’s, and hearing story after story of how much this country meant to its people, we returned to Cape Town with as rich an understanding as possible.

Connecting the dots within the rest of the Sleuth’s was an incredibly helpful exercise. It solidified everything we had observed, learned, smelled, tasted, and heard. With this newfound understanding, we were ready to execute Johari’s story and build its brand in a way that would feel both authentic and unique.

• Conduct an in-depth narrative investigation to uncover Johari’s unique story.
• Craft a compelling brand narrative rooted in authenticity and cultural richness.
• Build a distinctive and memorable brand identity that resonates with its audience.
• Develop, direct, and execute a strategic Go-To-Market plan.
• Successfully launch Johari gin into the market, both physically and digitally.
• Establish and foster a gin-drinking culture.
• Roll out a seamless social media strategy and maintain ongoing content.
• Plan and execute impactful store activations and launch events.

Crafting their story.

Empathetic interviews with founders, staff, distillers, and future consumers, along with the stories we uncovered during our trip, provided us with the insights needed to craft a narrative DNA profile for Johari. This profile became the foundation for a poetic brand story—one that communicated Johari’s essence in a bold, motivating manner.

We were mindful not to over-romanticise, as is often the case with alcohol brands, ensuring the story felt grounded and authentic—never sounding like it came from outsiders. So, keeping things simple was a core writing technique, guiding us as we shaped Johari’s voice to remain true to its roots.

We focused on the idea of elevating life’s special moments, by raising a glass of Johari and aimed to create a brand and product that was synonymous with celebration.

Evolving their visual language.

Working with their existing logo, we fleshed out Johari’s identity and built a strong visual language around the narrative we’d established during our investigation. To authentically represent Tanzania in all its vibrancy, we chose rich tones to reflect the diverse landscapes, expressive typefaces to highlight the elegance of the gin, delicate illustrations to capture the pure, natural ingredients, and bold photography to tell a powerful story.

We photographed the gin and its distilling process both in Tanzania and in our studio in Cape Town. To really amplify the 'handcrafted' concept, we incorporated hand-drawn illustrations of the 15 ingredients, along with supporting elements like a cocktail glass, the still, the mountain range where the berries are picked, and a few other details.

This visual identity dug deep and stretched wide, all while maintaining order and cohesion.

Sharing the news.

Launching Johari marked the final step of Phase 1 of our agreement. While taking an international B2C brand to market was new territory for us, our content and social team was exceptional in not only planning but also executing a highly successful launch event in Dar es Salaam.

We used the launch party as a marker, surrounding it with a social media campaign that spanned a month before and after the event. Leveraging the strong, existing networks within the Johari team was invaluable, and together, we were proud to watch from afar as Johari made its way into the glasses and hearts of Tanzanians in June 2023.

We delivered a narrative and brand that not only resonated with our clients but was visually stimulating and unique. As one of our clients so eloquently put it, the brand "looked how Johari tasted.”

The handover included a comprehensive Narrative DNA profile, product pitch presentations, a fully developed visual identity, brand book and guidelines, Instagram and LinkedIn content, social media templates and a content plan, custom photography and illustration bank, future campaign ideas and plans, physical marketing collateral for launches and store activations, packaging design, and of course, the website.

Johari remains one of the collective team’s favourite projects to date.