Wild Turkey® Bourbon Unleashes Its #Nevertamed Spirit with New Advertising Campaign

LAWRENCEBURG, Ky.---After nearly 100 hundred years, one of America’s most storied brands is ready to tell a new story. In a move designed to bring the brand squarely into the hearts and minds of the Millennial consumer, this week Wild Turkey® Bourbon – reputedly a brand of choice for notable American icons, such as Hunter S. Thompson and John Wayne - kicked off its largest marketing program in the brand’s history - #Nevertamed. In this wide-reaching campaign, Wild Turkey is turning its attention to the unsurpassed quality in the bottle, a quality that has never wavered since the brand’s inception in the heart of Bourbon country – Lawrenceburg, Kentucky.

“The American Whiskey category is experiencing a profound resurgence in popularity as Millennial consumers start searching for spirits with more flavor and character”

#Nevertamed refers to the fact that while the spirit that’s at the heart of Wild Turkey Bourbon can be bottled, it has never been tamed. Wild Turkey refuses to change the production process of its award-winning Bourbon, even when it might be cheaper or easier to do so. When others in the industry turned to using genetically modified grains (GMO), Wild Turkey refused. Though it could legally age its Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey just four years, it ages it five years or more. And instead of using a less expensive char on its barrels, Wild Turkey uses a Number 4 Alligator Char to get the deepest, richest flavor. Others don’t do that.

Those points of differentiation are highlighted in the far-reaching #Nevertamed marketing platform, a multi-channel, digitally-led eco-system which debuts as a :60 second TV spot with corresponding OOH and a major focus on digital and social media, followed by print advertising and off- and on-premise point of sale. The advertising’s core quality message and inherent brand image cues are delivered in the creative by focusing on five uncompromising individuals who clearly exhibit the same Wild Turkey #Nevertamed spirit.

They include:

• Michael Sharp: An Alaskan outdoorsman who surfs in the arctic waters every single day.
• Chris Davenport: A mountaineer who not only skied all of Colorado’s 54 tallest peaks in one year, but hiked up the mountains himself.
• Rosie Napravnik: A trailblazing female horseracing jockey.
• Caleb Siemon: An artist and designer who bucked convention to chase his dream and became America’s premier glass blower.
• Tim Rigby: A legendary Hollywood stunt man.

Wild Turkey boasts one of the most respected distilling teams on the planet – the legendary father/son duo Jimmy and Eddie Russell, who have more than 90 years of experience between them – and is now experiencing its most significant brand transformation to date. Aimed at discerning, confident males ages 25 to 35, who stay true to themselves and their passions through their own lives, #Nevertamed is designed to evolve the image of the brand, while keeping one eye on its deep-rooted heritage. The campaign also represents the most significant investment in Wild Turkey’s marketing since the brand was acquired by Gruppo Campari in 2009.

“The American Whiskey category is experiencing a profound resurgence in popularity as Millennial consumers start searching for spirits with more flavor and character,” said Andrew Floor, Group Marketing Director, Campari America. “There is a genuine interest in well-crafted American spirits that are steeped in history and have legacies all their own – our response to this movement is something only Wild Turkey can own, and that’s the #Nevertamed spirit.”

The #Nevertamed campaign will include visually-stunning and emotionally-moving :15, :30 and :60 second commercials; robust social media activations around the #Nevertamed hashtag; and a standalone website Nevertamed.com housing the :60 second commercial and long-form video profiles of the #Nevertamed icons.

The #Nevertamed strategy, concept and full 360-campaign was developed by VITRO of San Diego. For additional information, please visit us at Nevertamed.com, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @WildTurkey.
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