If you ever needed evidence that there are any number of ways to promote hard cider and that FUN is just one of the ways, all you need to do is observe the work of Gideon Coll from New York’s Orignal Sin cidery. Coll’s most recent stab at bringing fun to cider is his upcoming 2014 Pin-Up Contest. But more on that later; a little background first.

Coll founded Original Sin in Brooklyn, New York in 1997. Since then he has grown the brand into one of the best distributed, small craft cideries in America, available now in 30 states. Today, Coll produces five different ciders. Here at The Cider Journal, we found a great deal to like with his Newtown Pippin Hard Cider, particularly the balance of acid and tannins, its nearly dry character and strong flavors. Coll’s ciders are made in small batches, use a variety of traditional cider apples, and are products of a man who has a great deal of respect for authenticity and orcharding. Three years ago, Coll planted his own experimental apple orchard in up-state New York where 80 different varieties of apple trees are cultivated. His goal: Find out which apple varieties are best suited to the region’s climate and soils and deliver the best apples as a result.

But it was 9 years ago when the fun started. That’s when Coll, upon being told by a distributor that he needed something visual and catchy to promote his ciders in bars and pubs, came up with the idea of creating posters to help represent his ciders. He turned to noted rock poster artist, R. Black. As you can imagine, given the “Original Sin” brand name, sexy cider was something of an inspiration for the artist. The result, some 40+ posters created since 2005, is really spectacular…and original.

To a degree, Coll and the Original Sin brand have become know for their unique, interesting, bold and often elegantly retro posters. This interest in the Original Sin posters has also led Coll to embark on promotional campaigns that put the posters front and center…Such as the upcoming 2014 Pin-Up Contest.

Beginning Thursday, August 21 at the 16-Bit Bar in Columbus, Ohio, and on the next subsequent Tuesdays in Chicago, Washington, D.C., New York and Austin, Original Sin will conduct a contest to choose five (one from each city) women to be models for five new Original Sin posters created by R. Black. Given the popularity of the Orignal Sin poster collection and given the talent and fame of R. Black, it’s quite an honor to be chosen, and not a little fun.

Anyone interested in becoming a contestant in any of the five locations CAN SIGN UP HERE.

There is a certain “up-scaledness” to wine marketing and promotion; a certain “from the bottom up” quality to beer marketing. Craft cider, currently finding its reputation building between these two marketing flanks, has the freedom to go just about wherever it wants. By turning to a talented artist like R. Black and by concentrating on sexy and retro, Original Sin cider and its founder Gideon Coll have taken an original and fun route to marketing.

Click to learn more about Original Sin cider

Click to see more examples of Original Sin Posters

Click to learn more about the artist R. Black

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