• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, December 3, 2018

Maker’s Mark is targeting young adults with new ads, pop-up experiences and a relaunched, e-commerce-friendly site, all in time to encourage holiday giving of the bourbon.

The new global advertising campaign, “Mark of the Maker,” from the Doe Anderson agency, features narration by actress Scarlett Johansson and music by indie-alternative band Moon Taxi. 

Two 30-second TV spots (one below) focus on conveying the bourbon’s authenticity and craftsmanship — themes well known to appeal to millennials in the spirits and other categories — by showing actual employees at work and scenes from the Loretto, Ky. distillery (including the limestone-filtered lake from which the brand sources its water).  

The message: Maker’s Mark’s unique taste, and its distinctive sealed-in-red wax bottle, are the result of a traditional, 60-year-old process that’s carried out by hand by artisans (“hand-dipped, hand-cut”), not by machines. The takeaway: “This season, give our best to yours.”

The campaign also includes digital, social and in-store and on-premise advertising and promotions, as well as out-of-home promos featuring hand-painted murals that drive home the brand message that “character isn’t made by machine.” 

Millennial-friendly pop-up events being held at festivals across the United States, dubbed “Maker’s Wanted,” again highlight the bourbon’s craftsmanship, by offering participants a close-up look at part of the distilling process. 

The brand’s website (MakersMark.com) has been redesigned, and is now integrated with Thirstie to enable online buys of the bourbon without being redirected to a third party site."