Share to Open.
The Challenge
Whisky can be an intimidating choice for new drinkers. The Balvenie, however, is known as a very approachable single malt, and is far more accessible than many other brands on the market. Our job was to highlight this message in a creative PR way, and let everyone know that The Balvenie is the perfect “gateway” into whisky.
The Insight
The traditional way to advertise whisky is to target the connoisseur and remind them of the craft process and history behind the brand. For The Balvenie, this was not the right approach. To target new drinkers, we needed to be more inviting in our message and promote the qualities of togetherness that whisky is all about. We needed to show everyone how life-enriching a dram can really be.
The Action
Away from the formal environments usually reserved for whisky, we headed to London’s King Cross station to launch a truly unique pop-up whisky bar. Here, at one of the UK’s busiest intersections, the bar offered a “Share to Open” concept, whereby the shutters would only open when all the seats in front were full. This encouraged passersby to sit with their friends, or even invite strangers to join in the special experience. Once seated, the shutters would open and a bartender would pour each person a free dram of The Balvenie while explaining the whisky’s story.
This immersive bar brought the concept of sharing to life and placed The Balvenie firmly in the “approachable” category. A perfect introduction for anyone wanting to begin their journey into whisky.
The Results
In just one day, this campaign reached an incredible 140,000 people.
18 bottles were sampled, 900 drams were served, and our average engagement time was a really impressive 7 minutes per customer.
Another great example of our unique approach to product sampling.