Launching a global brand
We all know that the traditional market for whisky drinkers is getting older, yet the boom in clear premium spirits with 20-40 somethings suggests there is strong potential for a Whisky brand that can shake off the old man’s image whilst retaining all the quality cues that characterize premium status.
In order to tap this growing market, persuade customers to trade up from JD & Coke and encourage new people to try Whisky, William Grant’s & Sons created a smooth and rich, unique ‘Triple Malt’ that has exceptional finish on it’s own and is also ideal as a base for cocktails.
The name ‘Monkey Shoulder’ comes from an injury that the malt men used to suffer - in years gone by - and the story is told on the back-label of every bottle. The challenge for Mystery was to develop the launch collaterol in a way that balances the irreverence of the name with the heritage and quality of the product. The danger was that by creating an unusual name that attracts the target audience, it could risk being perceived as a novelty item.
Our role was to help define a unique and premium brand character that the customers could identify with. Like the car you drive, the brand of Whisky you drink says something about you. We helped create brand communications that project Monkey Shoulder as a fun iconoclast in the tradition of Whisky that younger drinkers can express their individuality through.
The early gate-keepers for the route to market were the style-bar ‘mixologists’. This trend-conscious group are continually courted by drinks companies to help promote their innovations, so we needed a launch that would become a talking point and generate a following for Monkey Shoulder.
Working closely with William Grant’s and their PR agency, Mystery helped create a launch event that did just that. The theme for the event was fancy-dress as gangsters and moles. We designed the invitation as a playing-card that was sent out in the ribbon of a hat. All 150 of the country’s top mixologists and the industry press turned up to the ware-house/speakeasy in amazing outfits and were taught how to play ‘Monkey Poker’, a three-card game - reinforcing the products unique ‘Triple Malt’ characteristic. Monkey Poker has since become a regular monthly fixture on the bartenders calendar.
Inspired by the original bottle packaging by Lewis Moberly, Mystery went on to develop the design strategy and brand guidelines in order to define consistent brand communications across different media. We also created a print advertising campaign - which illustrates the characteristics of the product with a range of quirky monkey characters - point of sale, bags, t-shirts, party invitations, training video and secondary packaging for the French and UK market.
Monkey Shoulder’s launch has helped propel the brand from zero to hero, driving the loyalty needed to start off-premise sales - initially through boutique food-halls and off-licenses in the UK and subsequently in to thousands of retailers and bars around the world.
If you would like to hear more or discuss how brand strategy can lead to a powerful design strategy and can help launch your innovation and win the loyalty of your customers, then sign up for a no-obligation call.