He became famous for «L» oil, the most expensive oil in the world. To launch it, he sent 80 handmade gift boxes by courier to trendsetters and gourmet journalists. He sent them to Donatella Versace, to Ian Schrager—who owned Studio 54 and co-founded the first boutique hotel with Philippe Starck—and to the *Los Angeles Times* and the *New York Times*.
«Not necessarily to turn them into customers, but to spread the word through word of mouth» he says.
It is now launching the world’s first signed olive oil. You can order it with your signature screen-printed on it; it is a limited-production item, and comes in a handmade case made of solid white lacquered wood, with two white gold plaques. The price is 11,000 euros.
Luxury oil
The first things that catch your eye about «l» are its bottle and its luxury case. It might bring to mind a perfume or an expensive whiskey, but certainly not pure, extra-virgin olive oil from Crete. «I wanted to create a piece of jewelry for the table. The bottle is handmade. Even the label on the back is applied by hand, as is the cork. I wanted to create a magical product that takes you on a journey through flavor.», says Mr. Koliopoulos.
I can speak with confidence about its quality, as my product has undergone official chemical and organoleptic analyses. »In fact, I even won a silver award at the New York Festival, but I’m aiming for gold,« he emphasizes, and »Lambda’s” accolades don’t stop there.
Founder and Director of Speiron
Occupation: perfectionist. His vision is to sell the best olive oil in the world … to the richest people in the world. And to continue selecting and launching other Greek products as the best in the world.
«L» has many firsts to its credit. It is the world’s first luxury olive oil, the first olive oil to be labeled as «ultra premium,» and the first to feature white-toned packaging, in contrast to the earthy colors of other brands. It is the first olive oil in such an expensive gift package worldwide (€150 or $ 180), or €41 per bottle (500 ml). The “l” increases the added export value of Greek olive oil abroad by six and a half times.
Oil from books
«L» is the first oil that wasn't made from olives but from books, he says. It is the fruit of intellectual thought. His reading helped him. Mainly Pynchon. It’s as if he’s turning the entire universe upside down, sawing through the status quo.
He considers Stelios Ramfos to be his most significant influence; in his books, Ramfos explores what is holding back the Greek psyche and preventing it from progressing. «One Person's Sorrow»It expresses him perfectly. And, of course, the architect Zenetos, because he believes that pioneers in Greece have always felt a sense of loneliness.".
He believes that the prevailing atmosphere in Greece does not foster entrepreneurship. People don’t understand what you’re doing, and instead of at least saying «go for it,» they just discourage you. He concluded that he had to break out on his own. He said, «The world isn’t the way I was taught it is in Greece, where everything is a static universe. In the world, there can be fluidity.».
But first, I had to get myself together. «To reach «zero"». He completely discredited Greece and said: «We're not worth anything». That is the secret to self-awareness for modern Greeks. You must see yourself as nothing in order to rediscover your true self and to create—whether you are an entrepreneur or a teacher.".
He wanted to do something exclusive because he likes unique things
«I won’t buy a Rolls-Royce, but I understand why it exists in the world. Most importantly, just because I don’t drive a Rolls-Royce doesn’t mean I can’t build one. In Greece, not many people understand that. Everyone should have an object that expresses who they are. It’s always been that way. The more unattainable something is, the more we want it. Many would disagree with this view, but perhaps they don’t recognize it in the way they themselves react.» he said in an interview with Step.
He created the first luxury product made by Greek hands. He brought the “premiumization” trend—which had been applied to beverages for years—to olive oil. The “ultra-premium” category didn’t exist, but he decided to call it that because that’s what he liked. It is the first olive oil to use this marketing concept.
He has never traveled abroad, he has never lived abroad, and this is an interesting case study. Everything was done through his laptop, because he has a talent for uncovering useful knowledge beneath layers of useless information. It’s possible to live in one country and build a career in another. Like Zenetos, but also Morricone, who built a career in Hollywood while living in Rome. He stays in Greece because he loves his country—in its essence, not as it is.
He didn't get rich, but he keeps at it—that's his passion. The fact that he managed to get others excited about my product means he succeeded. Speiron It’s not a company driven by revenue. He envisions it as small and refined, à la Rolls-Royce. It has achieved something unique on a global scale, and that’s what he wanted.
His advice to every aspiring entrepreneur or creator
It’s about not listening to the «noise around us.» Greece’s future doesn’t lie in what we see around us right now. The secret lies in rarity and small-scale production. But also in added value, which means self-confidence and vision—in Greece, in its products, but first and foremost in ourselves.
With a law degree and prior experience in advertising as a copywriter, George Koliopoulos became the entrepreneur who saw Greek olive oil as «liquid gold» and broke into the markets of Hong Kong, Singapore, Abu Dhabi, as well as the ultra-luxurious display windows of the London department store «Harrods.».
«L» or «Lambda,» as this luxury olive oil is called, takes its name from the first letter of the word «ladi» (oil) and has evolved in recent years into a powerful brand name, thanks to Mr. Koliopoulos’s efforts to create a luxury product in an extremely expensive gift box, aimed at a specific audience.
He, who has never traveled abroad, managed—using his laptop—to introduce Greek olive oil to international markets and make it a staple on the shelves at «Harrods.».
