Behind the Barrel -
Wild Turkey
Reigniting passion for a worthy brand, through an unforgettable experience.
Challenge: Shift Consumer Perception
While knowledgeable bartenders know that Wild Turkey is a fantastic and high quality bourbon, for far too long the brand had suffered from misguided consumer perception. Research showed that the average drinker thought of Wild Turkey as a harsh whiskey made for the "good ol’ boys."
Solution: Inspire Gatekeepers to Educate Consumers
Using industry contacts, we personally invited 30 of the country’s best and most influential bartenders to Kentucky to spend two nights immersing themselves into the Wild Turkey bourbon world and family.
The Experience:
How The Event Inspired:
Private welcome dinner and cocktails with the Master Distillers.
Visit to Independent Stave for a hard-hat wearing VIP tour, witnessing bourbon barrels being built and charred.
Two-hour VIP tour with the Master Distillers.
Skeet shooting on the grounds, while learning about how Wild Turkey earned its name during a turkey hunting trip.
The Rare Breed Challenge: Divided into groups, bartenders blended their own small batch bourbon to match the flavor and profile of Wild Turkey’s own Rare Breed bourbon.
Drinking bourbon straight from the barrel: The Master Distillers thief’d and served from the oldest warehouse on the grounds.
Outdoor dinner, overlooking the Kentucky River and an amazing skyline.
Bonfire, music and bourbon with the Master Distillers.
Sleeping on the distillery grounds in 5-star tents.
This event was such a success, it's been running twice a year ever since this innagural launch. Plus, the program now invites bartenders from all over the world!
My Specific Contributions:
Led the creative process and ideation for the event, from the original pitch deck through complete execution and expansion.
Wrote copy for all communication pieces and talking points.
Worked closely with experiential team during planning and on-site to put on a perfect event.
Collaborated with the Master Distillers and brand team to ensure integrity.
Personally took care of bartenders who partied too hard the first night.
Led the creative process for the next iteration of the event based on feedback.
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