According to the data provided by the Turkish Statistical Institute, only in 2019, 330.289 people have left Turkey to live abroad. Studies show that, when asked why people are choosing to emigrate, they cite similar responses: concern for the future, sense of detachment from the city one lives in, restrictedness, sense of alienation, fear of loss of freedom…Most of those who emigrated were young people, highly educated. These young adults are our core target consumers, and they long for the ones they’ve left behind in Turkey.

We’re Yeni Raki. We’re the market leader of a drink that has a 500-year-old culture. We are an important player in these people’s memories, and we are a reminder of their love and longing for their home country.

We’re Istanbul. We are what they miss, so we are the only ones that can bring back, re-enact what they miss.

The recommended way to consume raki is by mixing it with water. The glasses have two marks, one for a single measure and one for a double measure; indicating how much raki to put in before adding water and ice. We knew that most of our consumers preferred to consume their raki between a single and a double. So, we added a new mark on the raki glasses, the mark right in the middle of the single and the double, and we dedicated this mark to Istanbul. We manufactured glasses with this mark on. And we made a film of this glass.

Every scene in the film was filled with moments of Istanbul, yearned by a young woman who emigrated abroad.

The homeland is not what you leave behind, it’s what you take with you. Like your memories. We’re the market leader of a drink with 500 years of culture. We’re the memory of this country, we are what they miss, so we are the only ones that can bring back home, wherever you are.

The film was shot in 6 days. We strived to make Istanbul the most important actor in the film.

Instead of scenery shots, we used strong insights, moments and shots that can be understood by those who lived in Istanbul

We broadcasted the film on our Yeni Raki German and Yeni Raki Global accounts.

It went viral instantly. The film was shared on Whatsapp groups of Turks living abroad extensively; Yeni Raki daily mindshare reaching out to its highest ever by 89% in 24 hours. Currently in Turkey, advertising of alcoholic drinks on any media is not permitted. Despite the zero-media spending, in Turkey, our film remained a trending topic on Twitter for 24 hours. Chatrooms were opened in Clubhouse for the film. Reaction videos were shot on YouTube for the film, and not only by the Turks. If you have the opportunity, find a Turkish Meyhane; a local tavern, in your neighborhood and ask your raki at the measure of “Istanbul”. If you don’t, then ask any Turkish person you know about this film. Then you will find out for yourself what this campaign has achieved.