The Campaign

Bundaberg Rum faces a very difficult regulatory situation. In addition to DMC, Diageo’s internal code of conduct to promote responsible drinking, we must also comply with the government’s AAPS (Alcohol Advertising Pre-Vetting Service). All above the line communications must pass through their strict approval process to ensure they promote responsible drinking etc.

Results

Two years ago the state of Queensland was engulfed by a catastrophic flood, covering an area the size of France. On January 26 this year, it was hit by another. This one punished a much smaller area, but was even more ferocious. For our hometown of Bundaberg, it was the worst in history. The disaster led news bulletins, but within a couple of days the story became buried. As Bundaberg’s most famous resident, our task was twofold: (1) Lure people back to Bundy to boost a decimated local economy; (2) Fight ‘flood fatigue’, ensuring the bravery of this proud community is never forgotten. We embarked on an ambitious campaign to create Bundaberg’s biggest ever tourism event, just 6 weeks after the deluge. The centrepiece of the event was a promotional rum. Called ‘Road to Recovery’, the bottles were emblazoned with the names of Bundy’s flood-affected streets. All 171 of them. This highly sought-after product would only be available from the Distillery on March 16, meaning rum-lovers would need to make the journey to our event and spend some money in our town if they wanted to claim their unique bottle. All proceeds from the rum would be donated to flood victims.

Word of mouth, PR and social media were the primary tools, as news of our big event spread through our community of Bundy Rum loyalists. This groundswell was complimented by some traditional media including print, TV, radio, outdoor and DM.

The response was overwhelming. Over 6000 people made the pilgrimage to the town for the weekend of March 16, swelling the population by 8%. It was the biggest tourism event Bundaberg has ever seen. An estimated $2.5 million was pumped into the struggling local economy. The rum completely sold out, raising $300,00 for charity. Nearly $1 million in PR was generated, with 169 media pieces. The total reach exceeded 7 and a half million people. Online, our first Facebook Road to Recovery post engaged an amazing 13% of our entire population and 268,130 unique uses engaged in the month of Road to Recovery activity – almost 1 in 3 fans. Our Facebook page fan base increased by over 9,000 people. Our social activity reached 2,692,405 unique people with in excess of 20.9 million impressions. 1,037,470 people were reached as a result of their friends interaction with our Facebook activity. And most importantly, this famous event ensured that the bravery of this proud community would never be forgotten.