Kentucky
Let's Talk Whiskey
Spirits expertise. Aged 20 Years.
Aged 20 years.
For two decades, we worked hand-in-hand with Sazerac to grow their spirits and beverage portfolio with a sharp focus on bourbon. We launched new brands and reinvented old ones. We wrote taglines and designed bottles. We built massive social followings, and we created content that drove both loyalty and awareness.
In short, we build brands that move the American whiskey category forward by shaping and growing the culture around it, then bringing that culture to consumers around the world.
Because the brands that do that, win.
Buffalo Trace
Nearly 20 years ago, we helped launch the Buffalo Trace Bourbon brand. Built on a robust grassroots marketing strategy, today it is one of the most respected bourbons on the shelf…if you can find it. Through our social engagement strategies and content, few CPG brands have earned a more passionate following online than Buffalo Trace—a direct result of rock solid strategy that connects the brand’s origin story to the ideals of strength and independence that our consumer values above all else.
What we did: Digital, Print, Social, Community Management, Trade, OOH, Brand Positioning, Content, Influencer, Web Design, Media Strategy.
On social, Buffalo Trace earns over 20,000 engagements per week across 11 countries.
1792 Bourbon
From rustic to stylish, we helped transform 1792 Bourbon into a brand that belongs in a penthouse apartment. Inspired by the art deco movement of the ‘20s, this is a brand that stands for substance and style, cultivating the tastes of ambitious urban consumers. From social content that “talks the talk” to lifestyle content delivered via a digital 1792 Style Guide, we drove off-the-charts engagement for the 1792 brand.
What we did: Brand Positioning, Social Content, Community Management, Influencer, Web Design, Outdoor
Eagle Rare
For a decade, we earned goodwill for the Eagle Rare brand through the Rare Life Award. Built on the insight that consumers look favorably on brands that give back, the Rare Life Award recognized rare individuals who share the brand’s ideals and commitment to excellence with a $50,000 grand prize. In recent years, we helped reposition the brand to appeal more to the high-achievement luxury consumer. That effort culminated in the creative platform and tagline “Reach Higher,” capturing a cultural ideology that perfectly aligns our consumer’s mindset and the mature, award-winning nature of the brand.
What we did: Positioning, Digital, Print, Social, Content, Trade, Events, Community Management, Influencer, Web Design, Experiential, PR.
Buffalo Trace Distillery
Bourbon tourism is booming and Buffalo Trace Distillery has become one of the most visited bourbon destinations in the world, despite not being on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Leveraging our tourism experience, we helped grow visitor numbers from very little to hundreds of thousands each year. We helped create sold-out events like the Legendary Craftsman Dinner Series. And when the pandemic hit, we took our focus online, launching the massively successful weekly live stream series “Whiskey Wednesday.” Not only have we helped honor E.H. Taylor’s vision to create a bourbon destination, we played a crucial role in rallying an online community of loyal fans around Buffalo Trace Distillery’s portfolio of brands.
What we did: Tourism Campaigns, Digital, Print, Social, Trade, OOH, Experiential, Merch Design, Influencer, Content.
Weller
If you know bourbon, you know Weller. It’s one of the most celebrated brands in bourbon circles, an insight we captured through the brand’s new, global, mass consumer-focused creative platform: “The One to Know.” Through this ultra-premium positioning, Weller is poised to capture the fascination of the most discerning, taste-making luxury consumers around the world.
What we did: Brand Positioning, Social Content, Community Management, Digital Ads, Package Design, Influencer, Experiential
Wheatley Vodka
A craft vodka made by and named after one of the bourbon industry’s most celebrated Master Distillers. To get Harlen Wheatley’s namesake spirit off the ground, we helped position Wheatley Vodka as a quality vodka that even bourbon drinkers can appreciate–“This is How Vodka is Supposed to Taste.” Once the brand outgrew that positioning, we took it to the mass consumer market, presenting Wheatley as a craft-distilled vodka that can stand up in a cocktail. Spurred by a robust influencer strategy, our PROOF Cocktail Competition video series and a partnership with American Airlines, Wheatley Vodka is well on its way to becoming a bartender favorite and household staple.
What we did: Brand Guide, Social, Video Content, Influencer, Community Management, Trade, OOH.
Old Charter Oak
Named after an American folktale involving a fabled mighty oak tree, we knew this brand would be all about the influence of different oak species on the flavor of bourbon. Aligning the story of the brand name, the concept of oak as a flavor variable, and the psychographics of our super-premium bourbon drinker, we positioned Old Charter Oak as a conversation starter and a reason to tell stories amongst friends. From there, we brought this brand to life with a website, brand film and long-form stories about the different oak species that influenced each release.
What we did: Brand Positioning, Brand Guide, Brand Film, Web Design, Social Content, Long-Form Web Content, Community Management, Sales Materials.
Freddie's Old Fashioned Sodas
Created in honor of a beloved Buffalo Trace Distillery personality and Bourbon Hall of Famer, Freddie’s Old Fashioned Sodas had to do one thing above all else: live up to the real life Freddie Johnson. Through package design and a brand guide we captured the essence of Freddie with true anecdotes, a playful voice, “Freddie-isms,” and fun illustrations that have helped create a brand just as lovable as the man himself.
What we did: Branding, Package Design, Brand Guide, Positioning, Brand Video, Web Design, Social Content, Community Management, Sales materials, Events, Flavor Development.
Featured on Dieline, Graphic Design USA and AIGA Louisville’s 100 Award Show
THOMAS S. MOORE
Reviving a forgotten titan of the bourbon industry comes with a responsibility: do right by history, while breathing life into something new. The Thomas S. Moore brand is heavily influenced by the legacy of Barton 1792 Distillery’s founder, pulling visual inspiration from early whiskey packaging and historic documents. Culminating in sophisticated package design and branding, this innovative Extended Cask Finished Whiskey became one of our most rewarding (and awarded) branding challenges to date.
What we did: Branding, Package Design, Brand Guide, Positioning, Brand Film, Web Design, Social Content, Community Management, Sales Materials.
Named one of Graphic Design USA’s 2021 American Package Design Award Winners
Bourbon Cream
A delicious treat made with real bourbon and real cream. We brought the Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cream brand to life by showing consumers all the many ways–and occasions–to treat themselves. Our vibrant yet moody in-situation photography and influencer recipes created value for the brand and for consumers on social media.
What we did: Sales Materials, Social Content, Community Management, Influencer.
E.H. Taylor
Legendary, innovative, original. The E.H. Taylor brand embodies the best qualities of the bourbon icon it’s named after. To bring Colonel Taylor’s story to more consumers, we helped create annual Bottled-in-Bond Day celebrations in bars around the country, providing bartender partners with a toolkit of assets to make this a turnkey branded event. Under the E.H. Taylor brand, we partnered with Buffalo Trace Distillery to create packaging for its ultra-rare OFC Vintages collection before taking it online with a charity auction program.
What we did: Packaging, Social Content, Community Management, On-Premise Activations.
