Innovating outside the R&D lab
Case: Nordic Spirits Lab
When assembling any kind of network, the approach is inherently bottom-up. This is to say that the individual parts and components are a priority. They must be compiled before the greater concept of a network sees the light of day. These parts don’t need to live in any kind of proximity prior, in fact, it is better if they don’t. New relationships spur new ideas. New ideas create change.
Nordic Spirits Lab, a collaborative innovation platform intent on changing what and how the world consumes, was born and designed as a spitting image of such a bottom-up network.
Conceived by the Helsinki-based strategic design firm Wonder Inc. for their longstanding client Altia Group, NSL was born out of desire to create something pan-Nordic in the spirits industry. And moreover, something that is more than a traditional product experience. Thus, it makes sense that the NSL Community comprises a diverse group of innovators and early adopters from various fields and industries.
“For a corporation like Altia to jump on the bandwagon of small distilleries who play to authenticity and craft didn’t feel genuine. Of course both qualities are present in the ethos of the organisation, but as a corporation, Altia’s story is totally different. That’s when we came up with the scientific, lab-based approach. The NSL business model quickly came to inform the brand itself,” says Tobias Dahlberg, Strategist and Founder at Wonder Inc.
Not settling for the traditional R&D lab approach, Dahlberg maintains that it was vital to come up with an alternative. The NSL Community presnted such an alternative. The community includes mixologists, restauranteurs, a biohacker, a botanist, chefs, designers and many more, who all play their part throughout different stages of exploration, experimentation and collaboration; three key components which drive innovation.
“We saw that the opportunity for NSL lied at the intersection of business model and innovation strategy. Considering it’s potential for scalability, NSL is in a unique position in the industry,” continues Alyssa Stoisolovich, Strategic Design Director at Wonder Inc.
Nordic x Gin
Gin has been a focal point of spirits innovation for some years now, so much so, that the regrettable term ‘gintrepreneur’ has seen the light of day. From botanicals that have been sent into orbit, to one’s claimed to have anti-ageing properties, it’s literally all out there these days in terms of gin. You can almost taste the saturation. Therefore, it was imperative that NSL find it’s own spin before entering a market in which, it’s fair to say, liberties have been taken.
Besides innovating innovation, NSL has made sure its first product stands out next to others in the gin category. Its first product, G.01 Nordic x Gin, comes in a bottle that you won’t want to hide away amongst the rest of your stash. It belongs on an open shelf. It longs to be sensed.
Though at first glance the bottle does pander to those who value design and aesthetics, beneath and beyond the sleek and minimal laboratory-esque exterior of G.01 there is greater story to be told. The spirits itself, a gin and akvavit hybrid, draws largely from the tradition of the latter, which is prevalent across the Nordics, but most significantly in Norway and Sweden. Orange blossom, juniper berry and coriander seeds amongst others make up the key botanicals inherent in akvavit, and indeed which bring the spice to G.01.
Keeping up with trends
Indulgence. Excess. And ultimately, hangover.
The pattern of a boozy ‘night out’ is a familiar one. The principles of hedonism are rooted in excess, so maybe consumers just need to come to terms with crapulence? Sure, once in a while you might decide to check-in early, but even then you have probably had a few, which you will be reminded of the next morning. And yes, you can build up a tolerance. But that’s not a good thing is it?
These are the kinds of questions the NSL team are tackling. These are also the kinds of questions to which there is no definitive answer, no absolute truth. Trends come and go, and indulgence is highly subjective; vodka, gin, rum, or whisky? Whatever floats your boat, right? One significant amendment to concept of hedonism is however looming large. Namely, that consumers are becoming increasingly health conscious. Not all, but some.
“The health and wellbeing trend presents a paradox, since spirits aren’t particularly healthy, and never will be as long as they contain alcohol. I do believe that the trend will nonetheless hit harder. When you look at cocktails, they are often made of fruits, high calories and fast carbs, and I do believe that in the future we will see variations of these drinks that try to eliminate the amount of sugars, just as we’ve seen in the food industry,” Dahlberg concludes.
A healthy spirit does indeed sound counterintuitive. But considering everything else that’s out there these days, not entirely unfeasible. It remains to be seen what NSL come up with next, but one thing is for sure, it won’t be something you will want to hide inside your cupboard or keep in your pantry.
