Brand Story: Lucky Buddha Beer
Back in 2010, we had an epiphany.
It all started when we were on a boat trip in China.
Without realising it, what happened on that trip changed our lives forever.
The weather changed, a storm brewed and the river we were sailing down began flooding. We started plunging down the river, rocking from side to side. Lightning crackled and the wind howled. The force of the water was too much for our little boat. It lurched forward and in a rush of swirling water it landed on the river bank.
We all sat in silence for ages. Cowered under the bamboo roofing, we waited until the storm had passed. Slowly, we started to relax a little and nervous laughter was exchanged. Our captain disappeared and a few minutes later we heard a cry of joy. He emerged from the galley with some beers which had miraculously survived the storm. He pulled out a little Buddha figurine from his pocket.
“Lucky Buddha saved us. He brought us good luck”, he said.
That night, we drank to us. To our friendship, to adventure and to the lucky Buddha.
Problem
A beer to symbolise unity
That night inspired us to create a beer that symbolised something. We believed that there was a need for a beer that could be enjoyed by everyone around the world, a beer that transcends all religions, cultural boundaries and beliefs. There we were, so far away from home, caught up in a storm in a country with a completely different culture and language - laughing over some beers. That feeling was something we wanted to recreate.
We realised that there was a gap in the market for a beer that had a real personality, that had something that would unite people. Many beer brands claim to bring people together for a good time, but how often is beer the highlight of the event? We wanted to create a fun brand that would be the centerpiece of gatherings, that would spark conversations, that people would talk about, laugh about and bond over.
We wanted people to feel what we felt that night as we drank our beers - lucky, happy and uplifted. We were inspired by the lucky Buddha figurine that our captain kept on him, and so Lucky Buddha Beer was born.
Food pairing
While we were in China, we fell in love with the diversity of cuisine it offered. We would usually have a beer with our meals, and we found that the lager paired really well with the flavours of Chinese food. It was light and refreshing with a crisp, clean finish. Something you could have with meals but also as a thirst quencher on a hot summer’s day.
We found that there was a lack of choice back home in terms of Asian style lagers, so we saw an opportunity to bring it to the States. To get the right flavours, we worked hard with the brewers at the Qiandao Lake in China, where our beer is brewed and bottled. Lucky Buddha Beer is a fusion of the finest quality malt, hops, rice and water.
Solution
The Buddha brand
It only seemed obvious that our product should personify the Buddha, which is why we decided to have the bottles shaped like him. We believe that putting a face or character to something makes it more personal.
We began finding out about the symbolism of the Buddha. The laughing Buddha face on our bottles is not actually THE Buddha, and therefore not religious but cultural. The term buddha means “one who is awake”. The Laughing Buddha was in fact a Chan Buddhist monk called Budai who lived around 1000 years ago. His name means ‘cloth sack’ which derives from the bag he is depicted to be carrying. Throughout Chinese culture, he serves as a representation of contentment. He was known to be kind and jolly, travelling around and providing people with goodies he collected on his travels.
Over time, he became a depiction of all things joyous and affluent. Legend has it that if you rub his belly, it brings you wealth, good luck and prosperity.
We believe that the Laughing Buddha embodies everything we want our brand to reflect, which is why he is the perfect character.
It’s all about the experience of drinking Lucky Buddha Beer. From the tactile, carved glass bottle, to the infectiously joyful Buddha grin, to discovering four good luck symbols on the bottom of the bottle (representing good fortune, happiness, longevity and prosperity). Don’t forget the red, upright horseshoe on the back that hugs the Lucky logo - a universal symbol of good fortune.
We want you to love the beer and treasure the bottle.
Sustainability
Something that we passionately believe in is sustainability. We want to leave a better world behind for future generations. When we were in China, we saw people collecting bottles and cans to be reused - nothing went to waste. We felt that our beer should embody the same principal, and we wanted to make sure that our products could be reused and recycled as well.
We have worked with Noble Environmental Technologies and Walmart to design a sustainable point of purchase display to support Walmart’s commitment to reach zero landfill waste by 2025. We are also collaborating with both companies to develop a sustainable end cap display (a display at the end of an aisle) that is non-toxic, VOC free, made from 100% recycled materials and is 100% certified bio-based.
It’s the least we can do to reduce our carbon footprint.
But the best part about our journey towards sustainability is our customers. Our bottles are often used in arts, crafts and DIY projects which we think is amazing. It wasn’t something that we aimed for originally, but the fact that it has taken off is great, and it’s now something we encourage people to do. We’ve seen some innovative ideas, from candle holders to soap dispensers.
Here are some examples of what our creative customers have come up with:
We like to think that sharing a common goal of caring for our planet can bring people closer together - either by buying an environmentally-friendly product or coming up with ways to reuse the products.
Success - personality, elements of luck and fun
We’re quite proud of ourselves for creating this brand. We truly believe that in today’s world, we all need something that unites us and makes us forget our differences.
We believe that people can relate to our brand. We’re not targeting a specific consumer, and we want to be as inclusive as possible. Our beer is for anyone who wants to feel good - and who doesn’t?
In 2015, we were one of the fastest growing imported beer brands in supermarkets in the US. We can only think that this part of the luck that Lucky Buddha has brought with him.
