1792: UNtypical

The bourbon and whiskey category is full of the same brands using the same tropes to speak to the same audiences. To win wallets, they often narrow in on the minutia of tasting notes or ride the coattails of A-list celebrities for mass appeal. So, when Sazerac approached us with an opportunity to relaunch the 1792 brand, there was one core question we needed to answer: On the brown wall of attention, where can we find differentiation?

Bourbon and whiskey are experiencing exponential popularity as spirits of choice, especially among an audience segment competitor brands were overlooking. High-Income Urban Dwellers represented a growing untapped market, and 1792 had a unique opportunity to resonate with them. This young, multicultural, and ambitious audience shared one major commonality with the 1792 brand: They both look different than the world they operate in, and are proud of it.

To bring this thematic to life and position 1792 as the spirit that understands their spirit, we championed the “Untypical” nature of both the audience and brand, paving the way for us to behave unlike any of Kentucky’s finest before. The work is boldly unique in a categorical sea of sameness: upscale not down-home, worldly not Kentucky, refined not rugged, and executed through highly crafted animation. The “UNtypical Stories” digital, social, and posters campaign was an immediate success, driving the business results and brand recognition our client partners were in pursuit of.

On that brown wall of attention, 1792 now offers a value proposition that’s anything but typical.

Winner of: ADC: Gold Cube & 5 shortlists; National Addys: Judges Choice award, 1 Gold, 2 Silvers; Communication Arts Illustration Annual; Graphis Poster Annual 2023: Silver.

CCO: Dave Damman

ECD, Art: Jonatan Maldonado

ECD, Copy: Aron Cleary

Art Director: Ryan Bailey