BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® Shines a Light on Trio of Emerging Artists to Launch Limited Edition Series of Bombay Bramble® Gin

As part of an ongoing mission to Stir Creativity, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin is turning its attention to a new host of talented British creators in celebration of BOMBAY BRAMBLE, the brand’s latest creative expression of gin, which is bursting with natural flavours of blackberry and raspberry.

Revealed as part of the BOMBAY BRAMBLE Ripe For Discovery campaign, the three up and coming artists - commissioned in partnership with art-lover and actor Russell Tovey – have creative talent that has been deemed ripe for discovery, with the gin brand transforming the bottle into a canvas for the creatives, resulting in distinctive, limited-edition artwork labels.

The three selected creators are Alfie Kungu, Charlotte McDonald and Rose Electra Harris, who have all applied their unique signature styles and created stunning limited-edition art pieces inspired by the bold flavours and bright berry tones of BOMBAY BRAMBLE gin. As a long-standing supporter of the arts and at a time where creativity has never mattered more, this latest launch from BOMBAY SAPPHIRE continues to champion ingenuity by showcasing the works of fresh and exciting artistic talent.

Available exclusively on Selfridges.com, shoppers will be able to select their preferred work of art and personalise the bottle label with their own name, or the name of a loved one with eye-catching gold foiled lettering, to create the perfect gift just in time for Christmas. Shoppers will receive their personalised artistic purchases in limited-edition tote bags that feature a larger-scale version of the BOMBAY BRAMBLE artworks.

These innovative artists were selected in partnership with award-winning actor Russell Tovey, a long-term supporter of the arts and co-host of art-focused podcast, TalkART. With Russell’s expertise as an art collector and his previous collaboration with BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin in 2019, he is the ideal co-curator to review a long list of outstanding, rising-star talent before identifying the final three names that would be commissioned to work on the Ripe for Discovery Artist Series. From Yorkshire-born painter Alfie Kungu’s distinctive colour splatters, to London-based Charlotte McDonald’s nature inspired, textured arts or the bold colours and shapes of print artist Rose Electra Harris, each creator brings individuality and innovation to the iconic BOMBAY BRAMBLE bottle.

Russell Tovey commented “It’s a pleasure to be given the chance to showcase these three incredible artists at this exciting stage of their careers, and to see their creativity coming to life on these beautiful bottles, which will now live on people’s drinks cabinets as pieces of art. Working on this project with BOMBAY BRAMBLE and having the privilege of discovering and curating this host of budding artists embodies what I love about creativity – its power to connect – one artist’s creation can go on to inspire creativity in future generations.”

The creativity does not stop there. As part of the BOMBAY SAPPHIRE commitment to supporting emerging artists, a donation has been made to The Artists’ Benevolent Fund, a charity organisation that directly supports graduate artists to help give them with the tools they need. At a time where the arts are under enormous pressure, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin recognises the importance of ensuring that those with creative passions feel supported to continue reaching for their dreams, which is why they have committed an upfront donation of £10,000, plus a further 6% of the RRP on the first 3,000 limited edition bottles sold in Selfridges.

Matthew Collins, Trustee from Artists’ Benevolent Fund commented “The Artists’ Benevolent Fund has been supporting artists for 200 years. Today our aim is to enable emerging artists, a mission that we have in common with BOMBAY SAPPHIRE and their Stir Creativity platform. The generous donation from the brand will support our Step Change Programme, working with partners across the country to deliver financial support, access to resources and mentoring.”

Natasha Curtin, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Global VP commented “2020 has been a year where creative communities have been squeezed and creativity has become even more important in terms of self-expression and connection. BOMBAY SAPPHIRE has always proudly supported and championed creativity and with the launch of the Ripe for Discovery Artist Series, we are delighted to continue to showcase brilliant, emerging artists as well as give back financially to the Artists’ Benevolent Fund. We hope that our gin-lovers are as excited as we are to get their hands on a beautiful, personalised piece of art as well as the delicious new BOMBAY BRAMBLE gin.”

BOMBAY BRAMBLE is available now on Selfridges.com.

ENDS

Enjoy BOMBAY SAPPHIRE responsibly. For the facts: Drinkaware.co.uk

For more information please contact: bombaysapphireuk@ogilvy.com

NOTES TO EDITOR:

Recipes for all drinks / cocktails mentioned above are available upon request.

About BOMBAY SAPPHIRE®

BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is the world's number one premium gin by value and volume (IWSR). Based on a 1761 recipe, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin is created by perfectly balancing a unique combination of 10 hand-selected exotic botanicals from around the world. The BOMBAY SAPPHIRE distillery at Laverstoke Mill has won a BREEAM award for sustainability and is the home of the unique Vapour Infusion process, where the natural flavours of the botanicals are skilfully captured, resulting in the fresh and vibrant taste with which BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is synonymous.  

BOMBAY SAPPHIRE has recently been awarded the prestigious Double Gold and Gold medal at the 17th San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC).

The BOMBAY SAPPHIRE brand is part of the portfolio of Bacardi Limited, headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited.

BOMBAY SAPPHIRE AND BOMBAY BRAMBLE ARE TRADEMARKS

ABOUT BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® AND CREATIVITY

Launching the ‘Stir Creativity’ campaign in 2018, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is leading a global mission - a call to arms for everyone to engage with their creativity and unlock their creative potential.  From advocacy programmes including World's Most Imaginative Bartender competition running in the US for the last 11 years to hosting The Glasshouse Project, a global advocacy programme bringing together the world's top bartenders in a series of creative workshops designed to push the boundaries of cocktail creativity. 

For eight years, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE has run The Artisan Series, an art competition created by the brand to provide emerging artists with an international platform. The brand has also partnered with well-known artists and creators such as Tracey Emin, Thomas Heatherwick and Tom Dixon for the BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Designer Glassware Competition.

ABOUT Artist Benevolent Fund

The charity was established in 1810 and was granted a Royal Charter in 1827 as the ‘Society for the protection and relief of artists in the several studies of painting, sculpture, architecture and engraving, and their widows and orphans’. The charity then consisted of two funds: The Annuity Fund was declared dormant on 16 April 2002 and through supplemental charters of 1952 and 2002 became known as the Artists’ Benevolent Fund. Its aim is now defined by the Trustees as being ‘ a charity that supports visual artists of all kinds including makers, architects and digital artists. This gives the Trustees a wide area of discretion.

Now the work of the ABF reflects the changes in the art world that have happened since the beginning of the nineteenth century. In 2016 the focus of our grants programme shifted to supporting young artists who have recently graduated. We partner with university art schools to provide post graduate funding, facilities, and supervision to help promising graduates who have a financial need to develop their careers in that all important first year after graduating. One such grant has been given to Olivia Sparrow, a graduate of Manchester Metropolitan University School of Art. Such grants can only be obtained through the University department.