• by Larissa Faw , October 7, 2015

Beam Suntory has selected VSA Partners as the advertising and marketing agency of record for its 2 Gingers Irish Whiskey brand. VSA will handle advertising, retail, digital and social media initiatives.  

Jim Toth, partner and executive creative director at VSA Partners, who along with Bob Winter, partner and executive creative director, will lead creative for the new campaign. The first work will debut in early 2016.

2 Gingers was created in 2011 in Minneapolis by local pub owner Kieran Folliard with an initial focus on female drinkers. Beam then purchased the brand in 2012 with an eye on national distribution and expanding its reach to both men and women. 

Future creative will be designed around building awareness and loyalty using the brand’s origins and the spirit of the founder's mother and aunt, the original two gingers (red-heads) that inspired the brand.

Four years ago, VSA launched a consumer marketing practice to complement its branding capabilities. Now, VSA brings together various aspects of designing and activating brands—from brand strategy, narrative and design through data science, advertising and digital marketing. 

“2 Gingers successfully entered a crowded category, but its modern and authentic story can drive continued growth, especially among emerging whiskey drinkers,” says Patrick Palmer, partner and director of strategy at VSA Partners. “By understanding how and when they adopt new brands, we learned how to shift behavior in the brand’s favor.”