Consumer Brands Case Study

Launching a Premium Spirit
Defining a brand that connects with your target audience

We all know that the traditional market for whisky drinkers is getting older, yet the boom in clear premium spirits with 20-40 somethings suggests there is strong potential for a Whisky brand that can shake off the old man’s image whilst retaining all the quality cues that characterise premium status.

In order to tap this growing market, persuade customers to trade up from JD & Coke and encourage new people to try Whisky, William Grant’s & Sons created a smooth and rich, unique ‘Triple Malt’ that has exceptional finish on it’s own and is also ideal as a base for cocktails.

The name ‘Monkey Shoulder’ comes from an injury that the malt men used to suffer - in years gone by - and the story is told on the back-label of every bottle. The challenge for Mystery was to develop the launch collaterol in a way that balances the irreverence of the name with the heritage and quality of the product. The danger was that by creating an unusual name that attracts the target audience, it could risk being perceived as a novelty item.

Our role was to help define a unique and premium character that the customers could identify with. Like the car you drive, the brand of Whisky you drink says something about you. We helped create brand communications that project Monkey Shoulder as a fun iconoclast in the tradition of Whisky that younger drinkers can express their individuality through.

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