Shackleton Whisky, Nat Geo and Sky Media

Shackleton Whisky, Nat Geo
and Sky Media

Chase the Big Adventure on National Geographic

Chase the Big Adventure
on National Geographic

As a challenger brand with challenging budgets, we didn’t think TV was viable for Shackleton whisky. Through the power of partnership however, we have seen first-hand how TV advertising can payback even with the smallest budgets. Without Republic of Media’s freethinking ethos, such a partnership would not have been possible for Shackleton. The brand has real momentum in the UK and we will continue to push boundaries and honour the man who inspired us.

Jaimie Anderson, Global Consumer & Digital Marketing Lead at Whyte & Mackay

Shackleton Whisky, Nat Geo and Sky Media

Chase The Big Adventure on National Geographic

Shackleton Whisky launched in 2017 and although it received positive reviews, initial growth was steady rather than spectacular. Therefore, with a great liquid, a great brand and great distribution, Shackleton wanted to become the fastest growing blended malt in the UK. Whyte & Mackay tasked Sky Media and Republic of Media to illustrate the adventurous spirit of the whisky, which is no small feat in the competitive whisky market. By incorporating a TV solution into this plan of action, we were able to reach 42% of modern spirit drinkers (ABC1 males aged 25-40) in the UK.

0
%
increase in prompted awareness among all adults
0
%
increase in prompted awareness amongst Modern Spirit Drinkers
0
k
of added value delivered across Linear and VoD

Challenge

With a budget less than a quarter of its biggest competitor, Shackleton Whisky set ambitious objectives. The first was to become the fastest growing brand in the contemporary spirit category by driving awareness within their core target audience. The second was to position themselves as the whisky for adventurous modern spirits drinkers. This was going to be no easy feat, but Sky Media had the answer – National Geographic.

Idea

Research showed there was a gap in the market for a whisky brand to align with an adventurous target audience, and coupled with the knowledge that viewers sometimes tend to be more interested in the image of the brand rather than the merits of the product, we wanted to build a campaign around the core emotive theme of adventure.

The strategy for developing Shackleton Whisky’s brand story was all about chasing the BIG adventure. A creative idea was developed, with the consumer-facing line of ‘Born Adventurous’. The creative execution would conceptualise the authenticity of Shackleton Whisky to operate in this never-before trodden space. Adventure is rooted in the heritage of Shackleton, so they needed a big, exciting, modern platform to build purpose and earn a place in the modern spirit drinkers’ lives of today.

Aligning with a respected and credible brand such as National Geographic gave Shackleton the voice to tell their story and increase authority in the market. The sponsorship idea would provide the ‘rub’ effect from National Geographic’s trusted credentials onto the Shackleton brand. It was also planned to deliver a frequency of messaging amongst the core audience, providing the perception of a large-scale TV campaign.

Activation

To launch the campaign, we negotiated a social post from the National Geographic Facebook page to reinforce the partnership between both brands. A 3-month linear sponsorship on National Geographic was negotiated. Additionally, after identifying that 1/3 of National Geographic viewers also watched Nat Geo’s sister channel National Geographic Wild, it included a further 200 hours of linear programme sponsorship on this channel too. Further activation included the creation of a hub, digital brand banners, a social post to launch the partnership and the production of TV idents.

National Geographic not only created a hub to the Shackleton story, but also cost-effectively produced the idents with minimal assets. National Geographic display banners hosted on their website also drove users to the hub to discover more about the founder of Shackleton Whisky, Sir Ernest Shackleton. The campaign ran from September 2019 – December 2019, capturing consumer behaviour trends in alcohol consumption and benefiting from the increased linear TV viewing across the winter months.

Results

Through using our TV media solution alongside other aspects of the campaign, together we were able to drive a 42% coverage of Modern Spirit Drinkers (ABC1 Males 25-40) in the UK. National Geographic’s tracking showed that the campaign pushed the brand towards being viewed as more unique, adventurous and authentic among those exposed to the campaign. Amongst its competitors, Shackleton clearly stands out as an ‘adventurous’ and ‘unique’ whisky; the only truly different brand among those surveyed.

Delivery & Exposure

  • The campaign planned to reach 156 TVRs yet overdelivered with 189 TVRs.
  • Delivered + £30,000 of added value across Linear and VoD.
  • Average dwell time on the 3 x articles exceeded the National Geographic average.

Awareness

  • Prompted Awareness of Shackleton amongst All Adults increased by 41%.
  • Prompted Awareness of Shackleton amongst Modern Spirit Drinkers increased by 28%.

Quote

    “As a challenger brand with challenging budgets, we didn’t think TV was viable for Shackleton whisky. Through the power of partnership however, we have seen first-hand how TV advertising can payback even with the smallest budgets. Without Republic of Media’s freethinking ethos, such a partnership would not have been possible for Shackleton. The brand has real momentum in the UK and we will continue to push boundaries and honour the man who inspired us.”

Jaimie Anderson, Global Consumer & Digital Marketing Lead at Whyte & Mackay

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