Wine of the Steppe: How We Reframed Kumys Through a Product Metaphor

An ancient drink gained character, packaging, and a voice in the hands of a small brand that simply wanted to be clearer and closer to its own audience.

Branding for Saf Qymyz — an ancient drink of the nomads

they spoke about inspiration: a farm in Katon-Karagay, kumys that is drunk like a memory — like pride, like home. From the very beginning it was clear that we were witnessing an attemp to asemble something new and national.

When the client first came to us,

with a semiotic analysis. We explored visual and symbolic codes, gathered cultural associations, and identifued two main pillars:

We started the work

The second: to make the product more understandable, we built a metaphorical comparison. Kumys is like wine. It is just as ancient, just as ritualistic. It is aerated (in Kazakh — "sapyru"), it matures, it has gradations, regional nuances, and specific moments of consumption. The comparison with wine gave us a clear reference point. It allowed us to speak about the product not as a relic of the past, but as a complex gastronomic culture.

The first: good kumys is a word-of-mouth brand. People buy it from acquaintances, at roadside stands, from "those very people." It is always surrounded by a sense of mystery, as if passed along through recommendations and trust. And almost every time someone drinks kumys, there is someone nearby saying, "You haven’t tried the real one yet."

they spoke about inspiration: a farm in Katon-Karagay, kumys that is drunk like a memory — like pride, like home. From the very beginning it was clear that we were witnessing an attempt to assemble something new and national.

When the client first came to us,

The first: good kumys is a word-of-mouth brand. People buy it from acquaintances, at roadside stands, from "those very people." It is always surrounded by a sense of mystery, as if passed along through recommendations and trust. And almost every time someone drinks kumys, there is someone nearby saying, "You haven’t tried the real one yet."

The second: to make the product more understandable, we built a metaphorical comparison. Kumys is like wine. It is just as ancient, just as ritualistic. It is aerated (in Kazakh — "sapyru"), it matures, it has gradations, regional nuances, and specific moments of consumption. The comparison with wine gave us a clear reference point. It allowed us to speak about the product not as a relic of the past, but as a complex gastronomic culture.

with a semiotic analysis. We explored visual and symbolic codes, gathered cultural associations, and identified two main pillars:

We started the work

two ideas — word-of-mouth memory and a noble product metaphor — the brand emerged.

At the intersection of these

• Semiotic analysis of the product, cultural codes, and rituals
• Research into consumer patterns and motivations
• Development of a product metaphor (wine as the reference)
• Creation of naming and descriptors
• Meaningful packaging: visual code, archetype, and attributes

What We Did:

Results:

• A clear image: kumys as the wine of the steppe
• Archetype: wise, pure, and belonging to the future
• Strategy: “the taste of authenticity” — connecting tradition with a new generation
• Packaging that speaks to the city without losing its roots
• A living brand that can move directly from the farm to the supermarket shelf

Clean, composed, and multi-layered.
SAF QYMYZ.

two ideas — word-of-mouth memory and a noble product metaphor — the brand emerged.

At the intersection of these

• Semiotic analysis of the product, cultural codes, and rituals
• Research into consumer patterns and motivations
• Development of a product metaphor (wine as the reference)
• Creation of naming and descriptors
• Meaningful packaging: visual code, archetype, and attributes

What We Did:

Results:

• A clear image: kumys as the wine of the steppe
• Archetype: wise, pure, and belonging to the future
• Strategy: “the taste of authenticity” — connecting tradition with a new generation
• Packaging that speaks to the city without losing its roots
• A living brand that can move directly from the farm to the supermarket shelf

Clean, composed, and multi-layered. SAF QYMYZ.

Contacts

Sometimes one conversation is already a beginning.

Write if you would like to discuss a task or inquiry.

e-mail: yrysty@jas.agency

tg: @yrystyabout

contact me

Contacts

contact me

e-mail: yrysty@jas.agency

tg: @yrystyabout

Sometimes one conversation is already a beginning.

Write if you would like to discuss a task or inquiry.