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WILD DIFFERENT

Brand Experience | Live Client

Chosen as one of two winners by the client
"We love this idea and can see it being implemented 2-3 years down the road when we have a better footing."

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TL;DR
THE BRIEF: 

Connect with consumers to generate hype and excitement around the Whiskeysmith brand while making whiskey more approachable/accessible through the gateway of easy and delicious flavors. 

THE DRAMA: 

Messing with the flavor of Whiskey is seen as an affront to tradition.

THE CONCLUSION: 

Take Whiskey out of the "Wild West" and "Wild Different" with the Wild Spirit Rodeo - a modern take on the rodeo tropes that we all know and (maybe) love. 

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How can Whiskeysmith "Own the Unexpected" in the whiskey category?

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the cultural truth

WE LIVE IN A

OF FLAVOR

GOLDEN AGE

GOLDEN AGE

Every generation before us came and went without knowing the answer to “What if these Oreos tasted like blueberry pie?” But we don't have to. We can get anything we want in any flavor we want.

the whiskey truth

however

You can introduce a 45th flavor of Pringles and nobody’s gonna bat an eye, but if you mess with

WHISKEY

the torches and pitchforks come out.

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the problem

WHY?

when it comes to whiskey, every change is seen as an 

AFFRONT TO TRADITION

THE TRUTH IS 200 YEARS IN THE PAST

A LOT HAS CHANGED

however

since Jim Beam distilled that first batch of whiskey in 1795.

(the tension, the drama!)

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TRAIN ROBBERIES ARE WAY DOWN

(thank goodness)

THE WILD, WILD WEST IS NOW JUST 

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"THE WEST"(how lame)

and


whiskey is hitting the shelves of a liquor store near you.

banana-flavored

THERE'S A NEW SPIRIT IN TOWN

YEE-HAW!

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we have the opportunity to

BLAZE OUR OWN TRAIL

in the whiskey category and reclaim its tropes

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OLD COWBOY

from


we may not get our whiskey from a saloon anymore, but the cowboy mindset isn't going anywhere.

Just don't be surprised if it's a little less John Wayne and Clint Eastwood...

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NEW COWBOY

to

and a little more like Lil' Nas X
and Orville Peck. 

The modern cowboys.

WILD ISN'T WHAT IT USED TO BE.

the strategy

WELCOME TO A NEW FRONTIER OF FLAVOR.

the campaign

WILD DIFFERENT.

THE BIG EVENT


Introducing the Wild Spirit Rodeo - a modern take on an old tradition where we take the famous tropes of real, western rodeos but bring them from "Old Cowboy" to "New Cowboy". This is the New Frontier of Flavor for a whiskey rodeo.

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Disco Saloons, Barrel Raving, Buckin' Banana, and a Wild Wild Drag Show


Introducing the Wild Spirit Rodeo, the event that combines old rodeo tropes with modern cowboys.
We Wild Wilder.

THE
EVENT MAP

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THE MAIN STAGE


The Wild Spirit Rodeo will launch in the motherland of Whiskeysmith: Denver, CO. On the main stage of the rodeo will be the Wild Wild Drag Show hosted by famous drag queen Trixie Mattel.

THE SALOONS


Arguably the main attraction, Whiskeysmith Saloons will be placed at opposite ends of the event. Each will serve whiskey straight, whiskey cocktails like the 'Quick-Draw Drizzle', and whiskey specialties like the '6-Shooter': a rotating revolver cylinder loaded with six shots of Whiskeysmith's most popular flavors.

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BARREL RAVING


True wild ones know that nothing gets your heart racing more than a rave. That's why Whiskeysmith has replaced Barrel Racing with Barrel Raving, a roller rink rave with live DJs, whiskey barrel drink stations, and cowboy boot skate rentals.

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BUCKIN' BANANAS


A rodeo wouldn't be a rodeo without bull riding, but Whiskeysmith does things differently. So naturally, they replaced the bulls with bananas (for their famous banana-flavored whiskey) and created Buckin' Bananas instead. Yee-haw!

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SPUR OF THE MOMENT DISCO


Spur of the Moment Disco does what spurs do best, get us moving. The disco dance floor will be accessible at all times, but periodically throughout the day a disco ball will drop, the floor will light up, and an MC will take the mic and call everyone to the dance floor.

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MARKETING


We created an own-able event that lives within the Whiskeysmith brand and can extend past the event itself.

OOH


"Wild" postings and OOH ads that will help generate awareness for Whiskeysmith before and after the event placed in bars like old-fashioned beer and liquor posters.

SOCIAL


We want to keep the party going on social by having short videos introducing the event and showing how with Whiskeysmith, we Wild Different.

MERCH


Of course with a brand like Whiskeysmith and an event like the Wild Spirit Rodeo, we needed some wild merch. Let's just say we had some fun with these western tropes.


The word wild has many definitions. From the great, wild outdoors to the Wild Wild West to adding a wild new flavor to whiskey. 

LET'S GIDDY-ON-UP OUTTA HERE

WILD IS ANYTHING BUT EXPECTED

which is exactly how we envision Whiskeysmith “Owning the Unexpected" - by confronting all these tropes of “wild” that are found in the whiskey category and putting our own unique spin on them. By doing that, we can really capture the duality central to the brand:
acknowledging the traditions that brought us to where we are
while injecting them with new spirit.

Because with Whiskeysmith, We Wild Wilder.

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THE TEAM:

KAELAN BROWNExperience Designer

GRIFFIN DREW, Art Director

DANNY TODESCA, Copywriter

JOSH ZINGERStrategist

MY ROLE:

Creative management

Brand audit & research

Strategy development

Creative concepting

Photoshoot balloon thrower

Deck narrative & design

Final presentation to client

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