Food & drink: Jack Daniel's creates dramatic buzz

Campaign: Sponsorship of The Old Vic 24-hour plays
Client: Jack Daniel's Single Barrel
PR team: Stir PR
Timescale: October-December 2011
Budget: £50,000

 

Objectives

• To promote the product's premium nature

•  To create a buzz to get the drink on the shelves of Waitrose and drive sales before Christmas

• To build up the Jack Daniel's customer relationship management (eCRM) database.

Strategy and plan

Stir PR suggested the brand sponsor The Old Vic's 24 Hour Celebrity Gala, where one-off plays are devised, rehearsed and performed in 24 hours. A competition recruited subscribers to the Jack Daniel's Single Barrel and Old Vic databases.

Measurement and evaluation

Print coverage included Esquire, Live Magazine, Shortlist, GQ and Metro. Stir PR secured a deal with the theatre to provide gold membership, giving the brand backstage passes and tickets to entertain VIPs and press. The eCRM comms was sent to more than 150,000 targets.

Results 

The campaign coverage helped the sales team strike a deal with Waitrose to sell the whiskey ahead of Christmas and promote its availability in-store.