Jim Beam: Shakin’ Hands & Talkin’ to Folks - How planning placed a premium on the ordinary

Jim Beam, the whisky brand, launched a campaign in America to protect the long-term profitability of the brand and change the way it was perceived.

Campaign details

Brand: Jim BeamAgency: adam&eveDDB

Executive Summary

At 225-years-old, one of America's most iconic brands, Jim Beam, is almost as old as America itself.

For a recent immigrant to the USA, this made it a planning adventure like no other, because getting to grips with one of America's most iconic brands meant getting to grips with America itself. To have gotten it wrong would have felt like a diplomatic incident.

To protect the long-term profitability of the brand we needed to address its growing reputation for being cheap. But to do that we resisted any temptation...

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