Title | WATER MARK |
Brand | DIAGEO AUSTRALIA |
Product / Service | BUNDABERG RUM |
Category | B04. Public Service, Charity & Fund Raising |
Entrant | LEO BURNETT SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA |
Entrant Company: | LEO BURNETT SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA |
Sales Promotion/Advertising Agency: | LEO BURNETT SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA |
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 |
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.
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.
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.
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.