Campaign Overview:

Monkey Shoulder, a brand celebrated for its unconventional and playful approach, launched a PR campaign to disrupt the traditional whisky category. This campaign was designed not just to promote their whisky as the ideal choice for mixing but also to align it with vibrant cultural elements like streetwear, mixed-music, and street art, resonating with an audience unafraid to break norms.

Objectives:

• Position Monkey Shoulder as the top whisky brand for personal expression and mixing.
• Challenge and redefine the traditional norms of whisky culture by embracing unconventional whisky-drinking elements such as streetwear, mixed-music, and street art.
• Attract an affluent, non-conformist target market with a penchant for ‘colouring outside the lines’.
• Develop a narrative that appeals to a curated media list, resonating particularly with affluent black consumers.
• Target an audience size of 500,000 and achieve editorial features valued at R1-million.

Tactics & Strategies:

The Blank Collection Activation:

• •  Partnering with esteemed artist Phathu Nembilwi, we introduced the Blank Collection, a limited edition streetwear line featuring Nembilwi’s “Rising Sun” art. This move not only celebrated the brand’s commitment to mixing but also highlighted our commitment to uplifting black-owned businesses.

Exclusive Media Event at Kunye:

• • To showcase the collection, we invited media to a special event at Kunye, a music festival in Sandton’s affluent suburbs. Media representatives were among the first to don the Monkey Shoulder Blank Collection, enjoying the festival with custom-made mixed drinks, reflecting the brand’s ethos of personal expression.

Results & Impact:

• The campaign significantly outperformed its objectives, securing a PR value of R16-million, far exceeding the R1-million target.
• Achieved extensive media coverage, including 16 online features, 2 print features, and 1 broadcast feature.
• Reached an audience of 4 million, surpassing the initial target of 500,000.

Click here  to watch the full SABC Morning Live interview on Youtube