WATER MARK

Silver Spike
The Flash Media Player is required to view this content.
TitleWATER MARK
BrandDIAGEO AUSTRALIA
Product / ServiceBUNDABERG RUM
CategoryB04. Public Service, Charity & Fund Raising
EntrantLEO BURNETT SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
Entrant Company:LEO BURNETT SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
Sales Promotion/Advertising Agency:LEO BURNETT SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

Credits

Name Company Position
Andy DiLallo Leo Burnett Sydney Executive Creative Director
Tim Green Leo Burnett Sydney Creative Director
Tim Green Leo Burnett Sydney Art Director
Rupert Taylor Leo Burnett Sydney Copy Writer
Warwick Heathwood Leo Burnett Sydney Planner
John Henry-Pajak Leo Burnett Sydney Designer
Peter Bosilkovski Leo Burnett Sydney Head of Client Service
Jodi McLeod Leo Burnett Sydney Account Director
Sam McGown Leo Burnett Sydney Snr Business Manager
Angus Forbes Leo Burnett Sydney Editor

The Brief

On January 26, 2011, the Australian State of Queensland was hit by devastating floods. Over 75% of the State was destroyed, more then 30 lives lost, and Brisbane, a city of more than 1 million people, was left broken and underwater. Queenslanders are known for their strong fighting spirit. The floods left this spirit all but broken. The objective of our promotion was to help rebuild the homes destroyed all over Queensland and lift up that spirit once again.

Describe how the promotion developed from concept to implementation

The floods left the Bundaberg Distillery underwater. Two days after the distillery was drained our first act was to create Watermark: a rum that became a symbol of defiance and resilience. First we placed plaques at the watermarks on the walls of pubs in 16 of the worst hit towns. Then we launched with 16 music festivals that kicked off simultaneously, as a symbol of togetherness, at midday on April 16. The nation took up the cause and word spread via social networks, the media and traditional outlets. Watermark then went on sale in bottle stores nationwide, online and at the distillery.

Describe the success of the promotion with both client and consumer including some quantifiable results

When Watermark went on sale people queued up for over 96 hours to buy it (this is longer than people queue for ipads). The first run of Watermark sold out within a week and a second run went into production. When this run sold out Watermark became a collectors item, with bottles reaching up to $250 on eBay. All proceeds of Watermark went towards rebuilding Queensland.

Explain why the method of promotion was most relevant to the product or service

The Bundaberg Distillery is located in Bundaberg, North Queensland, and Bundaberg Rum has been lifting Queensland spirits for over 100 years. The city of Bundaberg was one of the worst hit areas. A large part of the Bundaberg population had their homes destroyed. The distillery itself was left underwater and in a state of disrepair. As Bundaberg Rum is a much-loved Queensland brand, and they had been hit so close to home, we felt it was natural for them to step up and create a promotion to lift the spirit of Queensland.