THE DRAMBUIE STAND AT THE CAPE TOWN FNB WHISKY FESTIVAL WAS AN EXTENSION OF THE BRAND’S ‘SECRETIVE’ COMMUNICATION PLATFORM. BY MAINTAINING A CRYPTIC ELEMENT, IT REWARDED THE CONSUMER’S INTELLIGENCE IN THE MANNER IN WHICH IT REVEALED THE DRAMBUIE SECRET WHILST AT THE SAME TIME HAVING A DISTINCT VISUAL POINT OF DIFFERENCE IN A ‘PACK AND BRAG’ ENVIRONMENT.
CRACK THE CODE TO DISCOVER THE SECRET. DRAMBUIE WAS REPRESENTED BY THE FOLLOWING NUMBER SEQUENCE: 5 19 2 14 3 22 10 6
THESE NUMBERS ARE A CODE KNOWN AS A ‘CAESAR SHIFT’. USED BY JULIUS CAESAR FOR MILITARY PURPOSES, A ‘CAESAR SHIFT’ NEEDS TO BE CRACKED TO REVEAL THE LETTERS BEHIND THE NUMBERS.
YOU CAN SHIFT THE NUMBERS EITHER FORWARD OR BACKWARD. WE SHIFTED THE CODE BY ONE POSITION FORWARD. SO: 5-D 19-R 2-A 14-M 3-B 22-U 10-I 6-E
TO STAND OUT IN THE PACK AND BRAG ENVIRONMENT, AND TO KEEP PEOPLE GUESSING AS TO WHAT IT IS THEY WERE DRINKING,THE DESIGN OF THE STAND WAS KEPT TO A BARE MINIMUM AND DEVOID OF ANY BRAND IDENTITY.
STAFF WERE BRIEFED TO MAINTAIN THE SECRECY OF THE CONCEPT AT ALL TIMES AND TO ENCOURAGE CUSTOMERS TO ‘CRACK THE CODE TO DISCOVER THE SECRET’.
HOW DID WE REVEAL THE SECRET?
WHEN A CUSTOMER ENQUIRED AS TO THE IDENTITY OF DRAMBUIE, WE GAVE THEM A ‘CRYPTIC’ CARD, ASKING THEM TO LEAVE IT IN THE FRIDGE OVERNIGHT TO ‘DISCOVER THE SECRET’.
THE CARD, ENGINEERED WITH A UNIQUE INK THAT REACTS TO COLD TEMPERATURE, REVEALED THE FOLLOWING COPY:
‘ DRAMBUIE. CRAFTED WITH AGED MALT WHISKIES, SPICED HONEY AND A RECIPE KEPT SECRET SINCE 1745 ‘
THE CARD WAS ALSO USED TO CAPTURE CUSTOMER DATA FOR ONGOING ACTIVATIONS AFTER THE WHISKY FESTIVAL .
FOLLOWING THE WHISKY FESTIVAL, THIS AD WAS PUBLISHED IN LEADING REGIONAL NEWSPAPERS. THE COPY, USING THE SAME CAESAR SHIFT READ :A PLEASURE TO HAVE MADE YOUR ACQUAINTANCE.TO THOSE OF YOU WE MET AT THE WHISKY FESTIVAL, CONGRATULATIONS ON DISCOVERING A RECIPE KEPT SECRET SINCE 1745. TO DISCOVER MORE SECRETS OF THE FINEST SCOTCH WHISKY, BALANCED WITH THE SMOOTHNESS OF HONEY AND THE SECRET BLEND OF POWERFUL HERBS AND SPICES, REGISTER AT WWW.1745.COM THERE’S REALLY ONLY ONE THING LEFT TO SAY…WELCOME TO THE CLUB.
WHAT NEXT?
USING DATA CAPTURED AT THE WHISKY FESTIVAL, AN EMAILER WAS SENT TO THOSE CUSTOMERS WHO CRACKED THE CODE, KEEPING THEM INFORMED OF EXCLUSIVE UPCOMING EVENTS AND PROMOTIONS.
LAMPOST FLYERS WERE POSTED OUTSIDE RELEVANT NIGHTCLUBS, BARS AND OFF-CON VENUES. DECRYPTED FLYER COPY FOR OFF-CON READ: WELL DONE, YOU’RE IN. GO TO PACARDI REBEL GREEN POINT TO REDEEM A COMPLIMENTARY BOTTLE OF DRAMBUIE AND DISCOVER A RECIPE KEPT SECRET SINCE 1745. OH, AND ONE MORE THING, WELCOME TO THE CLUB. TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY.
DECRYPTED FLYER COPY ON-CON READ: WELL DONE, YOU’RE IN. GO TO NEWS CAFÉ GREEN POINT TO REDEEM 2 COMPLIMENTARY DRAMBUIE LONG DRINKS AND DISCOVER A RECIPE KEPT SECRET SINCE 1745. OH, AND ONE MORE THING, WELCOME TO THE CLUB. TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY.