La Hechicera brings Colombian Caribbean to UK

La Hechicera, the first quality premium Colombian rum to be available in both Colombia and the UK, launches in the UK this month. Meaning ‘the enchantress’ in Spanish, La Hechicera was brought to life by emotional branding specialist Brandhouse, which created the brand’s identity, story and positioning, based on the idea of the ‘Colombian Caribbean’. 

The new rum is the brainchild of the Riascos family, a Colombian family with rum-making in its blood, and plugs a gap in the market for a premium rum in Western Europe. Brandhouse was brought on board to create a brand identity and design for the product that reflected its high quality and authentic Colombian heritage.

This heritage and unique provenance sits at the heart of the brand, which draws inspiration from the nation’s bio-diversity and landscape. The bottle features an illustration inspired by the drawings of the first botanical expeditions in South America and a striking blue ‘wax crest’ with various motifs forming an ‘H’ for Hechicera. An unusual colour choice, the blue really sets off the icons, which includes the image of a praying mantis, a metaphor for femininity, strength and cheekiness. Combined, the colour and imagery reflect both the name of the rum, its noble qualities and the diverse audience the rum is aimed at.

A cigar-style label, inspired by the Caribbean, and the bottle’s container, reflective of the 'mochilas' of the Arhuaco Indians, highlight the heritage of the rum, which is set off by the Latin inscription on the neck of the bottle. Translating as ‘resolute in being, gentle in execution’ – the brand’s core belief, the inscription reflects both the qualities of this rum and the values of the Riascos family that have shaped everything from the design to its tone of voice and the way it wishes to relate to people.

Laura Riascos, co-founder of La Hechicera adds “We are thrilled to be launching La Hechicera and to have such a strong brand to go with a product we are very proud of. The identity and design that Brandhouse has created strongly convey the Colombian values of the brand whilst highlighting the cultural relevance. We’re confident that the embodiment of the values will go down as well with both the Colombian and UK audiences as the rum itself, and look forward to widening the appeal of La Hechicera.”

Crispin Reed, managing director of Brandhouse, says: “La Hechicera is a truly authentic and premium product, so we needed to create a brand which really reflected those qualities. The rum has layers of complexity, blended together in perfect balance using the complex solera process by the Riascos family. The concept of La Hechicera had to highlight the superiority of the products whilst making sure it was true to its rich heritage. Creating the brand for the first quality premium Colombian rum in the market was fantastic – we had the opportunity to define what Colombian rum is.”

La Hechicera will be available from selected outlets in the UK, as well as across Western Europe and Colombia.

1 September 2012 - Felicity Murray