In a rare show of corporate patriotism, Seaman’s Schnapps recently unveiled a special centenary pack (limited edition) to mark the country’s 100 years as a nation at a ceremony that left the audience spell-bound with a parade of fashion styles of the old times, writes Olatunji Samson
The styles as one model turns in and out for another left everyone in the hall amazed. They began with styles of yester- years; to be precise from 1914 when the county’s southern and northern protectorates were unified to become today’s Nigeria, to the latest of present day fashion. It was an evening of colour and grandeur, leaving up to its billing and beyond the name of its host, The Grandeur Event Centre, Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos.
The occasion was the unveiling of the Seaman’s Special Centenary Pack Limited Edition to mark the country’s 100 years of diverse blessing of nationhood and to reinforce the need to pray for her.
Once the traditional and cultural dances were over, Seaman’s unleashed the all engaging fashion parade on the guests, beginning with styles of 1914-1935, some of them went beyond the cities and towns of then to the trend in the hinder lands. Some came in hides and skins, calico and even leaves trimmed to fit. The hall chocked and echoed in unbroken laughter and screams of excitement. As we developed in years so did the fashion trends changed.
After 1935, the next sets of styles were those of 1936-1970, the trend has changed dramatically this period, giving rise to some modernity but not without some crude presentations still but what was clear was that every successive period presented an improvement on the trends of the previous one. From 1971-1990, the modern era of fashion styles had begun to emerge; and what is today’s fashion classified by the event as having begun from 1991 to date was a modernisation of styles of the 1970s through 1980s and in some cases a re-introduction of some of them unmodified.
With guests glued to their seats and on edge from one event lined up for the evening to the other all through, Seaman’s Schnapps was again re-enacting one of its unique features of warm and complete spiritual association with the people of Nigeria that has made it in the last 50 years a highly revered gin recognised for its custodian of culture and conveyor of enduring blessings.
Apart from the crowed of traditional rulers and titled chiefs that graced the ceremony from across the country to identify and associate with it as the truly cultural drink most preferred by discerning elders for libation and prayers at landmark occasions, the event was anchored on the celebration of the Nigerian people and her cultures that have co-existed for over 100 years.
The formal unveiling ceremony of the Centenary Pack Limited Edition was performed by all traditional rulers present, including the representatives of Akran of Badagry and the Oloto of Oto led by the Royal Ambassador of Oyo Kingdom, Aare Ayandokun Ayanlakin, who stood in for the Alafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi and some of the company’s leading distributors present at the occasion.
The Commercial Director of Grand Oak Limited (GOL), the marketing and distribution arm of Laxcel Group and marketers of Seaman’s Schnapps, Aare Fatai Odesile, who thanked Nigeria for being the birth place of the white spirit and for making it the conveyor of the country’s enduring blessing, said the occasion was aimed at facilitating the blessing of the country and to offer prayers for her continuous peace and prosperity.
In his words, “The introduction of Seaman’s Special Centenary Pack becomes inevitable at this point in the chequered history of our dear country as the nation needs providential blessings to come out stronger and more united. No doubt Nigeria has come of age but given the myriads of problems and challenges confronting our dear nation today, you will agree with me that we have come to the point where we need the prayers and blessings of providence to move the nation forward, hence the reason for today’s landmark event.”
Also present was the representative of the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope Adefulire, captains of industry and the banking sector. Chairman, Laxcel Group, Mr. Ola Rosiji, who did not only recount the history of the company and its association with Seaman’s Schnapps but went down memory lane to recall its achievements and record-breaking landmarks in the gin/white spirit market in the country and Mr. Brajesh Kumar, the company’s General Manager, Marketing. Kumar noted that Seaman’s has pioneered many innovations in the schnapps segment and enjoined consumers to embrace the centenary pack as a conveyor of their prayers for Nigeria at 100.
