CASE STUDY: Windsor Whiskey gains loyalty with secret society in Korea

Background

In Korea where whisky is the drink of choice in most traditional establishments, people rarely ask for a bottle by brand. Mostly, whisky is just ordered by its age, and whatever arrives is usually drunk. Diageo Korea tasked McCann Worldgroup and Profero to change consumers' relationship with Windsor, solidify its position by turning the most purchased whisky into the most adored, and get thousands of people to engage as active fans.

Aim

The challenge was not simply to create another bolt-on loyalty scheme but to make Korean drinkers clamber to be part of Windsor's influential elite. To do this, the agencies turned to drama and created a piece of branded entertainment at the center of which would be a new legend, the Diamond Jubilee Club, a highly exclusive ‘secret society' where only Windsor is served.

Execution

Through outdoor, press, and a series of viral videos, people were first teased with the question - ‘What is the DJC?' Searching online led to the blog of a man obsessed with DJC and a ‘treasure hunt' to find the door to the mysterious club. With social media buzzing, movie trailers were released, and a special screening was held for a throng of local and international press. Then, the DJC opened its digital doors - a rich site hosting the gradual release of 10 episodes - films featuring A-list actors headed by Lee Byung-Hun and graphic novels created by top local artists.

Results

In the first six weeks after the launch of the first episode in March, the campaign generated:

• 128 articles in the press
• 763 articles online
• Over 3,153 comments on social media
• Over 12 million plays of video banners
• Over 1.1 million views of the movie and graphic novel content

At its peak, ‘The Influence' was the most searched movie at a leading local portal site above ‘Iron Man 2'. The fan base continues to grow helping to make Windsor the most adored whisky in Korea.

Credits
Project Windsor DJC Campaign
Client Diageo Korea
Product Windsor Whisky
Creative agency McCann Erickson Korea
Executive creative director Ashley Shon
Creative director JH Cho
Account director Won Kim
Digital agency Profero
Planning director Tom Hyde
Account director Angela Kim
Campaign date February 2010
Exposure Online, print, outdoor, cinema