I.W. HARPER WHISKEY

STRATEGY X BRAND X ACTIVATION

INPUT

How do you revitalize a Prohibition-era stalwart and stand out in a sea of whiskeys? That’s the challenge GERTRUDE faced with the 142-year-old bourbon brand I.W. HARPER, missing from US shelves for over two decades.

OUTCOME

Turns out a one-of-a-kind bottle of aged bourbon coupled with a trove of historical documents can make for quite the magical experience. The “Welcome Home, Mr. Harper” campaign featured new packaging—historic with a modern twist—and a custom-designed 1928 Ford Huckster, the jalopy of choice for bootleggers in the 1920s.

The campaign, which featured three national launch events, received 1B+ impressions, giving DIAGEO the impetus they needed to ensure national distribution for I.W. Walker. No bootlegging required—just pick up your bottle at a liquor store near you.