JACK DANIEL'S Brand Building ("We never sell. We tell.")

The five years I spent as the Creative Director on the Jack Daniel's account is one of my career highlights.

I led the ideation, concept development, creative execution and copywriting, managing a staff of designers, writing most copy myself.

Most of all, I came away from the experience having learned one of the most valuable lessons of my career, which I continue to apply to all my work. Read the n

SITUATION

Jack Daniel's has a marketing creed: "We never sell. We tell."

For more than 150 years, since Mr. Jasper Newton Daniel first started selling his whiskey off the back of a wagon, the brand has been built by telling its story, not through hard sell.

Every promotion, merchandising and experiential program we created for the brand adhered to this creed. And it’s a creed I follow on everything I

CHALLENGE

Sell whiskey by telling the story of Jack Daniel’s, turning brand truth into marketable legend.

SOLUTION

Created multiple award-winning merchandising, promotional, and experiential marketing programs that built and reinforced the brand story and its history. 

These included programs built around  the legendary way Mr. Jack died (which I have provided a detailed case study of in this portfoli

CRACK JACK'S SAFE

• Developed a sweepstakes around the true story told on distillery tours of how Jack Daniel died after kicking his safe and the legend that the safe had never been opened since 
• 6 winners got the chance to travel to Lynchburg and take a crack at opening Jack’s safe 
• Included off-premise sweeps and on-premise safe-cracking events 

JACK DANIEL'S 150TH BIRTHDAY

• Created a months-long promotional event leveraging the 150th birthday of Mr. Jack 
• Commemorative bottles including limited edition for select buyers/guests 
• Sweepstakes to win a trip to Lynchburg for a 150th Surprise Birthday event – featuring surprise performances from Third Eye Blind and The Wallflowers 
• On-premise birthday activation plus local market Surprise Birthday 

JACK DANIEL'S HOLIDAYS

• Award-winning holiday case display merchandising designed to bring Jack Daniel’s traditions to life 
• Snow globe display included plexi globe with motorized train that circled the interior town 
• Statue display included lighted holly and a removable 33.5” Mr. Jack statue with scarf 
• Holiday Tradition display included a dissolve from the past to the present