Company: William Grant & Sons USA, New York, NY
Entry Submitted By: Susan Magrino Agency
Company Description: Hendrick’s Gin is the most unusual gin that has taken the world by storm since it was first introduced, thanks to its delightfully unique flavor. The distinct blend of 11 botanicals combined with the signature infusions of cucumber and rose petals produces a wonderfully refreshing gin with a delightfully unique aroma.
Nomination Category: Marketing Campaign Awards Categories - Specialty
Nomination Sub Category: Brand Experience of the Year

Nomination Title: Voyage into the Unusual with Hendrick's Gin

Tell the story of this nominated brand experience program for the judges (up to 525 words). Describe the genesis, planning, execution, and results to date of your campaign. If applicable, remember to describe what's unique or innovative about your program:

Genesis

As curators of the unusual, Hendrick’s Gin has built a reputation bringing the peculiar to life in new and interesting ways. The integrated agency team was tasked with designing a campaign that would ignite curiosity and enhance Hendrick’s position as the most talked about and loved super-premium white spirit.  The ultimate goal: recruit new consumers, while rewarding avid fans—demonstrating that Hendrick’s is the most unusual gin.  

Development

The litmus test in our strategy: seek the unusual. The team developed a high-impact experiential five city road show, Voyages Into the Unusual (VITU), to allow trade, media and consumers to interact with the “delightfully peculiar world” of Hendrick’s Gin. This three-day event series visited Hendrick’s Gin’s top markets including San Francisco, Houston, Chicago, Philadelphia and New York City from June to December 2012.

From the event space to the character actors, the unusual was the driving force of all decisions. Planning was unique to each market, incorporating peculiar touches which provided guests with interactive experiences, such as roaming accordion serenades, the Crypt-Keeper steam-punk drink-making machine in San Francisco, or the Mysterious Wall of Pockets, Topiary Portraiture, or Seer’s Lair in New York.

Three event components traveled to each event to maintain continuity. The first was a grand Explorer’s Lounge, a massive bar outfitted with book, two-headed birds, Hendrick’s bottles and other unusual artifacts. The second was a frenzied Botanist’s Den, with a trained “botanist” actor, who enlightened guests of the eleven botanicals in Hendrick’s Gin.  The last, was a full-scale Apothecary Shop, outfitted with a trained “chemist” instructing guests to reach inside a monster box to get their cure (one of Hendrick’s signature cocktails). 

To keep guests’ curiosity, a cast of characters included: a lively, eclectic band, White Ghost Shivers; among other circus acts, stations and unusual surprises – from a lady in a log serving cocktails to an acrobat performing in a life-sized snow-globe.

Execution

Over a three day period different audiences were targeted with the ultimate goal of gaining more loyal followers and new brand advocates:

• Consumers were invited to two Cocktail Academy sessions, in which Brand Ambassadors led a group of 30 consumers through a history of gin and a hands-on cocktail exercise
• Trade (bartenders) were invited to a Bartender Brunch, which offered an in-depth deconstruction of the liquid to enhance trade knowledge and cocktail creation
• New consumers (driven by a media partnership and PR) were drawn to two large scale consumer events, which gave guests the opportunity to experience the Unusual World of Hendrick’s Gin

To drive attendance and create buzz, the team outreached to press, held targeted on-premise bar nights and used emails, social media and paid digital adverts to lead consumers to a unique-to-market URL to sign up for events.

Results

VITU surpassed all goals and expectations.
 
In the five markets, a record-breaking 4,263 consumer attended, who all trialed the product and experience the unusual world of Hendrick’s Gin.

A total of 2,922 people opted into the brand database – an increase of 100 percent from 2011.

VITU also garnered significant media attention, earning 14,042,373 media impressions--121% increase from the previous year’s campaign.

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Provide a brief biography of the leader of the team that planned and executed this brand experience program (up to 125 words):

The Hendrick’s Gin Integrated Agency Team (IAT) consists of digital media (Brand Advocate), media buying (Media Kitchen), creative (Quaker City Merchantile), production (Momentum Worldwide) and PR (Susan Magrino Agency). Together, the IAT is tasked with aiding the corporate team in marketing the most unusual gin. Much of Hendrick’s marketing strategy is experiential. Through the series of unique events and programs, Hendrick’s has enhanced its position as a loved super-premium white spirit and our delightfully peculiar essence.