The Woodsman whisky had a decent distribution across the UK and key European markets, but after a few years of generic whisky marketing, growth was stalling.
In a category beset by indistinguishable ads full of craftsmanship, rolling heather, and reflective sophistication, we set out to craft a campaign that stood well-apart from the rest.
Our idea was to position The Woodsman as a drink that is “Well Earned”. A reward for a good and honest day’s graft. An idea that really resonates with our audience of “life’s doers”, and reflective of the hands-on woodcraft at the heart of the product, which is matured in double-scorched ex-bourbon barrels to give it extra depth.
To bring this to life, Mr. President decided there was no better mascot for the brand than the hardest-working wood chopper in the forest: the beaver.
ENTER BARRY THE BEAVER AND HIS HARD-WORKING BEAVER FRIENDS. HERE TO CELEBRATE LIFE'S DOERS AND REWARD THEM IN THE ONLY WAY THEY KNOW HOW - WITH A WELL EARNED GLASS OF WOODSMAN WHISKY.
Barry is an ideal distinctive brand equity for an ongoing digital-first campaign. A perfect hero for broadcast comms, but also an ever-adaptable brand character to bring saliency to the brand through the line.
The brand’s first major TV ad follows our group of long-toothed beavers in their natural habitat as they roll their sleeves up and get to work chopping down trees, gnawing on bark, carrying planks, and hammering nails.
As the beavers mop their brows, we see a bottle of the Woodsman Whisky being opened and a drink being poured to celebrate what they’ve been beavering away on – a steaming and bubbling riverside hot tub.
Barry (the beaver leader) raises a Well Earned glass of Woodsman Whisky as the other beavers enjoy a rewarding soak in the bubbles.
Already dubbed the “World’s most effective Whisky ad” by Andrew Tindall of System1 Research, scoring an Exceptional 4.8/5 Star Rating, the ridiculously distinctive TV campaign will be supported by OOH, VOD, social and online in the UK and across Europe.
Cutdowns of our ads have been cleverly targeted for YouTube pre-rolls on ‘How to’ videos of all types. Being there for The Doers when they are learning their doing. As well as versions for all the major gifting occasions (from Father’s Day to Christmas), all the key serves, and a bank of responsive ads that can be launched socially as and when the right contextual moment presents itself.
There is even a live BeaverCam in the works, as we piggyback on the ongoing PR stories following the reintroduction of Beavers to the wild in Europe.
Barry might well be the hardest working animal, but he is also the hardest-working brand asset in igniting a new chapter of growth for The Woodsman whisky.
Unprompted awareness is already up 33%. With total sales now at an all-time high – Sales volumes are +22% YoY, and we have seen +58% growth in the 12 weeks since launch. Almost doubling The Woodsman’s market share from 0.8% to 1.5% Total Blended Whisky. Now that is Well Earned.
