Why is this work relevant for Media?

During a tumultuous and trying time for both Australia and the world, Hendricks & iProspect set out to create a media campaign that flipped consumer expectation on its head, bringing to life a never-before-seen combination of media firsts and experiential excellence that was amplified by an informed, effective media approach, to deliver a most unusual media experience and reignite customer curiosity.

Background

Hendricks is an oddly original gin infused with Rose & Cucumber that has been delighting & exciting drinkers with unusual escapades for decades. But in a context where craft gin competitors were exploding in popularity and the hospitality industry was struggling, Hendricks needed to cut through the clutter like lemon through tonic. And with Hendricks awareness at 52% vs 80% for key competitors, the challenge was a double shot: Be unwaveringly unique, and do so at a grand scale.

Describe the creative idea / insights (30% of vote)

The ongoing pandemic was and still is an unpredictable beast that has ravaged the emotional mindset of consumers, forcing millions to live in a harrowing hyper-reality perpetuated by constant media coverage. This wave of sameness across not just their media habits, but their locked-down lives, meant that consumers were craving an escape to something different, unreal, and inherently positive.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

Combining this cultural insight with our deep understanding of the Hendricks brand as a creator of the curious and unusual led us to our strategic solution: Deliver disrupting, untraditional experiences within traditional media spaces to curious white spirit drinkers all over Australia, shifting their focus from the same to the unusual, to drive awareness & trial of Hendricks Gin. We wanted to raise the bar for unusual and unexpected executions, and we did so literally, through the Hendricks Most Unusual Bar – A gin bar in a hot air balloon, floating hundreds of meters above the ground. This was used as the centerpiece to create our unique market first audio campaign.

Describe the execution (20% of vote)

Our radio partnership with SCA saw listeners get the chance to win their own flight in the Most Unusual Bar, by keeping an eye out for the Hendricks Gin balloon and taking a picture to go into the draw. Without stopping there, we took talent Ned and Josh in the air and on the air, broadcasting their breakfast show from the Hendricks balloon in a media first. Over to NOVA in Sydney, we used a similar approach with Fitzy & Whippa, running a promotion to give listeners a ride in the Most Unusual Bar. This culminated in another market first, in the form of a hot-air pursuit with Matt De Groot in the Nova Helicopter, doing traffic and weather while following our Hendricks balloon. Our approach was rounded out using 3D ads across Spotify that offered next level immersion, targeted to multiple audiences including Alcohol Intenders, Foodies, and Entertainment Enthusiasts.

List the results (30% of vote)

Hundreds of pieces of UGC. Thousands of meters flown. Over 4.6 million audio impacts, and over 10.8 million people reached through PR. The most important results? A 29% increase in year-on-year sales, and 35% increase in YoY sales of 9 litre cases. A most unusual success.