Bushmills Irish Whiskey
Creating category cut through
The Challenge
#2 spot to a category leader with a massive 85% share, Bushmills had a lack of awareness and no clear brand proposition. Although Bushmills is the most awarded single malt in Ireland, North American whiskey connoisseurs were not viewing the 400-year-old distillery as a major player.
The Articulate Solve
We developed a clearly defined portfolio strategy; leaning into lifestyle for blends and focusing on provenance and heritage for single malts - ensuring that the brand character and spirit ran strongly through both sides of the programming.
The Campaign
We created a new brand idea ‘REAL IRISH’, communicating our compelling Northern Irish heritage, unique home place and status as the oldest registered distillery in Ireland. This has since evolved into an attitudinal focused brand platform 'Follow No One', focusing on being an authentic, true original. We maximize blends lifestyle coverage potential ensuring that all brand programming amplifies our unique story and personality and our single malts activity strongly differentiates Bushmills as the oldest and best Irish Single Malt.
We also spearheaded “The Rare Casks” - an annual release program in partnership with Flaviar, featuring high age statement single malts with rare cask finishes. This provided a new platform to speak to consumers about Bushmills’ unrivaled stock of aged malt and whiskey making expertise, that resonated with whiskey connoisseurs across the country.
The Result
We have significantly shifted the brand perceptions of gatekeeper bartenders and spirits writers whose knowledge had been lacking, but who now understand Bushmills' unique place in the world of whiskey. In the last year we have delivered 38 placements and 285M impressions for Bushmills blended whiskeys and 66 Placements, 367M+ impressions for The Rare Casks.
Blends Strategy
While a common fixture across many a back bar, Bushmills’ portfolio of blended whiskeys had struggled to stand out from competition.
As part of an interagency brand repositioning effort, we developed a national marketing program to hero the brand’s first blended whiskey, Bushmills Original, alongside other Originals, through strategic partnerships.
Partnerships with the Boston Celtics
In 2021, Bushmills became an official partner of The Boston Celtics, one of Americas’ first NBA teams and another true Irish Original.
We amplified the partnership across earned media, to increase consumer consideration for Bushmills in the Boston market.
Blends Campaign
We developed an amplification plan inclusive of:
Partnership with former Celtics legend, Paul Pierce
Key messaging and partnership asset creation
Regionally distributed press release with local rebate offer tied to Paul Pierce
On-premise ‘First drink of St. Patrick’s Day on us’ commercially focused program
In-market day with Paul Pierce inclusive of blanket account takeovers, distributor luncheon, meet & greets and press day
Strategic press outreach program targeting key opinion leaders in MA
Results
We received 20 earned media hits to date resulting in over 136 million media impressions and garnered over 5.7 million social impressions
450+ consumers engaged in liquid to lips sampling, promotion of First Whiskey rebate program and swag giveaways
