Why is this work relevant for Direct?

This project enables Johnnie Walker to engage directly with consumers in a truly meaningful way. Every Father’s Day, Dad’s will record conversations and stories directly onto the Voice Edition whiskey case. And then each generation can pass down their Voice Edition, adding stories and replaying the recordings of the past. All while enjoying a glass of Johnnie Walker. This is both a brand experience, and a truly personalised experience, unique to every customer.

Background

Johnnie Walker has long been the world’s best-selling scotch whiskey. But the recent rise in craft beers and boutique distilleries has seen a shift in drinking habits and a drop in demand. We needed to capture the attention of younger consumers, and get our iconic whiskey back on the radar for older demographics. So we decided to bring innovation to an old tradition that has always been celebrated with whiskey – Father’s Day. It’s a time when generations connect with each other and with our product. But we didn’t just create a brand experience that lasted for a single day – but one that would live for generations to come.

Describe the creative idea (30% of vote)

A bottle of Johnnie has always been the default gift for Father’s Day. But this year, we used voice technology to create the most meaningful Father’s Day gift that a dad could ever get. It’s a whiskey case that preserves your Dad’s stories so that they can live forever. With its integrated audio technology, you can record the conversations you have with your dad on Father’s day and beyond. Then you and your children will always be able to hear his voice, over a glass of Johnnie Walker. The Johnnie Walker brand has been telling consumers to KEEP WALKING for decades. This is the first time the brand has helped them on their journey. With Johnnie Walker Voice Edition, consumers can KEEP TALKING, even after their footsteps have stopped.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

Johnnie Walker is a brand that needs to be passed from one generation to the next. But The whiskey’s iconic status has been undermined by recent shifts in drinking culture. Johnnie is the original - the drink of choice for your Grandad and his Grandad. But younger drinkers are turning to faster, flashier, more innovative products – seltzers, craft beers and boutique spirits. We needed older drinkers to pass down their love of Johnnie Walker to a new generation. And we needed to show our innovative side to this new generation that only knows us as an old man’s drink. So We created a new product to be enjoyed on Father’s Day, a product that combines technology and tradition, and brings together generations of drinkers to share a glass of Johnnie and enjoy a meaningful moment.

Describe the execution (20% of vote)

The whiskey case was designed using Johnnie Walker’s reduced palate – just black and gold. The upper part of the case has a leather and gold finish. The base is 3D printed, with the voice technology built in. Each box has 300MB of recording space so customers can record up to three hours of audio. The case features high-fidelity speakers and microphone. To launch Voice Edition, we created a voice-first website (jwvoiceedition.com) and invited the nation to record their father’s voice in order to win the first Voice Edition cases. We created a series voice-first social posts, some that targeting fathers, others targeting their adult children. This sparked a nationwide conversation around Father’s Day, which we fuelled by sending personalised DM packs to influencers and select media outlets.

List the results (30% of vote)

The ultimate result for consumers is the ability to preserve their father’s voice and create a lasting memento that will live for generations. Now the last time you speak to your Dad, won’t be the last time you hear his voice. This case has turns a regular bottle of whiskey into an invaluable object. This was a targeted campaign, focused on urban millennials and men of the baby boomer generation. And yet the combined reach of the social posts, influencers and media coverage was over 1,200,000 people, which is a third of the adult population of the country. This amounted to a substantial uplift in brand engagement. Thousands of father’s recorded stories on our website, with the 50 best storytellers receiving their recordings which they can share with their families, and pass down for generations to come.