Keeper’s Heart

F*ck You, Brian

TDA’s task was to launch Keeper’s Heart, a brand new Irish + American whiskey blend, the very first of its kind. Keeper’s Heart was a newcomer, fighting to get on shelf and begin building market presence. In the US there are over 2000 whiskey producers, all vying for the same limited distribution opportunities, shelf space, and top of mind awareness. How could we earn the attention of spirits drinkers, and also the distributors and retailers that act as gatekeepers in the category?

We needed an unignorable story

Distributors and retailers aren’t just looking for products, they’re also looking for good stories that can back up what they carry and stock - stories to help drive demand and interest and make it easier for them to answer questions like: “What can you tell me about this new whiskey?”

Consumers also love a well-told story, especially when it comes to spirits. A clear and unique narrative about the ground-breaking blend of two distinct whiskey traditions would help them remember the brand and give them a reason to try.

We couldn’t buy an audience, so we (literally) earned one

Outspent by all of our competition, we put the bulk of our limited budget into production (research shows that higher production values signal legitimacy), and took an organic social and PR approach to the brand launch.

Posts on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube allowed for discovery on our audiences’ terms. Strong engagement with the creative helped amplify the message through algorithms and created buzz.

The “F**k you, Brian” launch provided the disruption we needed to get noticed, followed by a sustaining campaign of paid, organic and earned media to keep Keeper’s Heart present for consumers.

While we ultimately embraced the harmonious blending of two traditions in our sustaining product campaign, we launched the brand with video and social that told the profanity-laden story of Ireland’s loss, and our gain.

More work:

Rebel

Feel Better

See work

Foria

Masturbation May

See work