Green River Whiskey Launch

The Client

Green River

Green River Distilling Co. is the 10th oldest distillery in the state of Kentucky and was founded in 1885 by John W. McCulloch, a man focused on quality and considered a visionary in sales and marketing. McCulloch traveled the world to promote Green River Whiskey, and it quickly became known as some of the finest in Kentucky. Green River won many international awards, including a gold medal and "best of show" at the Paris Exposition in 1900, and later a grand prize at the 1905 Liege Exposition in Belgium. It was also known as "The Whiskey Without Regrets," one of the most memorable advertising slogans in bourbon. Fire and Prohibition relegated Green River to history. Then, in 2014, with great effort, brick by brick, building by building, the distillery was restored. In 2016, they began distilling, and in 2020, Green River Distilling Co. was officially revived in its original home and the Green River flag was raised high on the distillery campus for the first time since Prohibition. Now, more than 100 years later, history has come full circle with the release of the new Green River Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

The Strategy

A MASTERFUL HIGH RYE RECIPE

Aged a minimum of 5 years in traditional rickhouses on the original Green River campus.

Created by Eighth Generation Master Distiller Jacob Call.

A Legacy Revived.

Focusing on the incredible history, a truly great product, and the company culture, the Green River Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey launch honed in on the local audience, as well as key players in the whiskey world. Remaining true to its roots in Owensboro, KY, Green River solidified itself as the Pride of Owensboro with a town takeover, video storytelling, multiple local events, and impressive product displays installed in select retailer locations. In addition, PR efforts consisted of strategic press outreach and influencer engagement via targeted swag gift boxes to whiskey aficionados across the country. All of these combined efforts led to online chatter, rave reviews, and intrigue.

INVITE AND INTRIGUE

Though there was chatter about Green River coming out with something good, the public was not quite sure what it would be. To capitalize on this intrigue, teaser elements were developed. Influencer marketing, social media content, and a dramatic teaser video created buzz around what was to come. Even the invitation to the launch event revealed just a taste.

A STORIED PAST TOLD IN THE PRESENT

Green River Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey has a storied past, and what better way to convey that than through video? Zehnder conducted a multi-day shoot capturing footage of past and present, everything from historic artifacts to ghostly figures to the new packaging. This one shoot has resulted in 7 videos so far, used at various times during launch including the pre-launch teaser mentioned above and the full reveal at the launch party.

THE BRAND BROUGHT TO LIFE VIA THE WEB

As a landing place for entertainment, education, and bottle searching, the newly designed GreenRiverWhiskey.com launched alongside the product in early February. Touching on the three pillars of the brand - heritage, whiskey, and soul - the site guides visitors through the Green River story with no dead ends. Whether planning a visit to the distillery, buying product merchandise, or finding a bottle, visitors find clear calls-to-action and pathways to results.

The Results

And It's Just the Beginning

“We've made one of the largest new product launches in recent whiskey history” - Client

Most spirit cases ever sold in a two-week launch period in Owensboro in distributor history and 2,119 bottles sold at the Visitor Center in the first two days.

408%

Increase

in Instagram profile visits during launch week

456%

Increase

in Instagram impressions during launch week

870%

Increase

in Facebook page visits during launch week

525%

Increase

in Facebook video views during launch week