“The green on the label reminds me of US uniforms in Vietnam,” the legendary drinks titan said, sipping the muddy brown liquid with no enthusiasm before delivering his unflinching verdict:
“That shit will never sell!”
More than two billion bottles later, join visionary drinks creator David Gluckman on a rollicking tour through the backroom alchemy of the drinks business, where wild ideas, daring innovations and brilliant products are mixed with a dash of advertising genius to become global mega-brands. And some of the world's best-loved drinks.
Unashamed controversialist Gluckman takes us behind the curtain of the 'Mad Men' era of volatile creatives, buccaneering businessmen and boozy lunches —and his half-century concocting ideas for the world's most intoxicating industry. From clashing egos to late-night panics, “That shit will never sell!” is an anecdote-rich account of how great ideas get made. And sometimes don't.
As well as the biggest hits of his career —multi-billion-selling Baileys, Smirnoff Black, Tanqueray Ten, Cîroc vodka, Sheridan's, The Singleton, Aqua Libra, J&B Jet, Purdey's, Piat d'Or and more— Gluckman's candid insider account also deals with the great ideas that didn’t make it (yet) - the nearly-weres, could’ve-beens and absolutely should’ve-beens.
It's the triumphs as well as hard-won insights distilled from 50 years of experience as a "brand champion" and "ideas man" that make Gluckman's unique book a modern bible for anyone in the business of products, brands, advertising and marketing — a road-map for all creatives on how to pilot their ideas through the complexities of a modern business machine designed to avoid risk.
Beginning in swinging '60s London - before focus groups were an industry, when people did real drinking at lunchtime and “market research” meant putting a bottle in a nearby pub and seeing what happened – “That shit will never sell!” features the remarkable true stories behind:
• Baileys: How a 30-second idea went on to sell billions of bottles globally
• Cîroc: How the world's first grape vodka started life in a brandy distillery in Tbilisi
• Guinness Light: How a “sure-fire hit” collided spectacularly with reality
• Le Piat d’Or: How the French “adored” a wine they’d never tried
Plus, now in a brand-new special edition eBook version, Gluckman adds over a hundred live-action links —to atmospheric video content, newsreels and the greatest, nostalgia-inspiring adverts of his career— to take readers back to the golden age of adman's panache.
With its tell-all style, lashings of humour and all-new “retrospective” flavour, Gluckman's inside story of the drinks business is sure to cause a stir.
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★ "Outrageous. He rides roughshod over everything I’ve been doing for the past 40 years. But I loved every minute of it.” — Michael Herbert, Market Research Consultant
★ “A hilarious, informative and inspiring read. Not only is it a must for anyone involved in creating drinks or drink brands, but a really useful text for anyone looking to bring any new idea to life. […] One of the best business books I've ever read, and I'm a fan of the genre.” — Chris Hannaway, Owner, Infinite Session Low-alcohol Beer
★ “A seemingly endless archive of amazing stories, and the authority and enthusiasm with which he delivers his narrative is not only engaging but also just a complete joy.” — Dr Zubin Sethna, Head of Programmes, Regent’s University London
★ "This book is a must-read for all marketeers—new and veteran--and for any budding entrepreneur looking to create a new product or service. It's my #1 recommendation to the start-ups I coach and develop." — Eugene Theodore, Brand Strategist
★ “His creativity, vision and modesty are extraordinary. The stories he tells behind some of the brands he has created over the past 40 years are breath-taking.” — Neil Martin, Head of Psychology, Regent’s University London
★ “Enormously inspiring in our creative development work […] Highly recommended, in particular for people and companies like ourselves, trying to develop new products and challenging what’s out there.” — Erika Ollen, Co-Founder of Gnista Spirits
★ “A very compelling read […] It’s the author giving a first-hand account of exactly how great ideas were created. I felt I was there with him when they happened.” — Joseph Siahou, CEO of Shore Consulting
336 pages printed in full colour
229mm x 153mm