I promoted sobriety in a campaign for a whiskey.
Whiskey/Bourbon has a steep price and culture curve that feels unrelatable to Gen-Z, especially since, amongst all generations, they engage with alcohol/drugs the least (among age-eligible users), leading to them being nicknamed the ‘moderation generation’. In this campaign, Maker’s Mark promotes sober curious uses of their products, and does so by meeting Gen-Z in their preferred contexts, while still being true and authentic to their brand.
To help reinvent the existing identity while still being authentic to the brand’s roots, we created a style guide for all moderation-focused products and promotions, which was an ask from the brief.
We launched the Tasting Trail, where we promoted and hosted a bar crawl surrounding social holidays that started and ended at sober bars, encouraging moderation.
We promoted the Tasting Trail through OOH, with designs centered around social holidays in the hotbed of their popularity, i.e. Mardi Gras in New Orleans, NYE in NYC, St. Patricks Day in Chicago, etc.
We launched Dry Barrel, a zero-proof whiskey, and Maker’s Mocktails, canned non-alcoholic cocktails. These new products preserved the core Maker’s Mark identity while giving moderation-seekers an inclusive option.
We created a first-of-it’s-kind digital punchcard accessible through tap to pay, and partnered with bars on the Tasting Trail to give patrons a deal on NA Maker’s beverages, promoting sales and moderation.
Case study video:
Client: Suntory Spirits/Maker’s Mark
Creative: Wesley Dean & Scott Dow