"Kentucky origins. global finish."
Launching in Sydney and NYC in 2022 with additional cities over the coming years, Maker’s Mark is bringing a unique Wood Finishing Series product to Global Travel Retail. But we didn't want to just slap a different label on a bottle. We wanted to actually have a liquid that represent each city.
But to properly do that, you have to get to its insiders. The ones in the know. The tastemakers. Our city spirit guides. Their brief was to inspire us with stories, details, and the flavors of the place they live and love. From the NYC skyline that lives with you long after you leave to the bright harbors of Sydney and beyond.
Agency: Proof (Beam Suntory In-House)
Production: CMENT Studios
New York City / JFK / Nov 2022 - TBD 2023
To kick things off we partnered with Erina Yoshida and Justin Ottevanger to create a complex whisky with a long finish you’ll always remember, much like NYC.
Since these bottles are exclusive to Global Travel Retail, we ideated and built out one-of-a-kind experiences with engaging activations and localized program visuals along the consumer journey to also bring the cities and brand together.
In JFK we built the Maker’s Mark Handmade Boutique complete with wheatpasted posters on the walls and a handpainted custom mural to bring through that authentic aesthetic found on the streets of NYC.
In the handmade spirit of how we handcraft our whisky and hand-dip each bottle, we’ll give consumers the opportunity to pull a screenprint of our signature red wax colored ink themselves, applying a unique print to tote bags. Because who can’t use another tote especially while traveling.
While they wait for the ink to dry, our kitted-out brand ambassadors will provide opportunities for sampling and storytelling to help showcase how spending the time to put your personal touch on these unique pieces truly creates a more rewarding experience. Since the space will be open throughout the holiday season, we’ve designed custom gift wrap and lined up some other surprises to cycle through and keep things fresh well into 2023.
SYD / Sydney, Australia / Nov - Dec 2022
Similarly in approach, but unique in execution, for Sydney we partnered with Jordan Toft and Sam Egerton to bring to life their crisp and clean vision of a whisky to be enjoyed outdoors amongst others.
We embraced the smaller footprint in SYD and kept the focus on this exclusive offering with localized activations and designs.
We were incredibly proud of how everything turned out and then the ultimate compliment arrived from Rob Samuels himself, the man who’s name is on the bottles: “In the 70+ year history of this brand, this is some of the most thoughtful and exciting work we’ve seen.”
Be on the lookout for more activations in new cities with new liquids in years to come as we build this global icon.