A legacy built
on a promise to
savor the moment.
SOUTHERN DISTILLING COMPANY
Reigniting a whiskey tradition with a bold brand that set the foundation for rapid growth.
BACKGROUND
How does Southern
Distilling Co. overcome
an industry perception?
Southern Distilling Company is an award-winning distillery based in Statesville, North Carolina. Born of a modern-day engineer, the company has a world-class production facility that leverages technology and a regional advantage in its access to local ingredients. However, there is a myth and perception that the best bourbons are made in Kentucky, or Tennessee. In fact, North Carolina was the pre-prohibition nexus for whiskey distilling.
Fort West was tasked with building a brand that reached the same standards as Southern Distilling Company’s product, while reigniting the region’s whiskey-soaked history.
Services
+ Brand Strategy
+ Brand Design
+ Brand Activation
+ Marketing Strategy
+ Media Planning
BRAND STRATEGY
A promise to
Savor the Moment.
Southern Distilling Company had a story to tell, but they needed an impactful way to tell it. Our first step was to help them uncover and define the things they care about. We used these foundational truths to tell their story and build a brand that’s as authentic as the founders, Pete and Vienna Barger.
This process led us back to Pete’s childhood, where his dad would sit on the porch at the end of each day, sip on a nice bourbon, and take it all in. That’s where a promise was made — a promise to always savor the moment. This phrase became our north star throughout the creative process.
STRATEGIC TARGET
A deeper
understanding of
the consumer.
We took to the streets of Statesville to meet with the locals and better understand the region’s rich history. We took great care to research and define Southern Distilling Company’s ideal customer — what we call their strategic target — the whiskey drinker who would most resonate with the brand’s values, purpose, and the story they had to tell.
Southern Distilling Company’s strategic target was named The Adventurous Tastemaker. From this, we defined individual personas and identified the cultures where they spend their time.
BRAND CHARACTER
Introducing The
Deliberate Dreamer.
A strong brand character brings personality and tone of voice to life. We utilize archetypes to help personify the brand’s offering and promise. Unique to Fort West, we then identify and combine two sub-archetypes to create an ownable character that sets the brand apart, and becomes the driving force for all expression. For Southern Distilling Company, we created The Deliberate Dreamer.
N. One whose systems and ideas turn passion into product and facilitate the translation of life’s chaos into meaningful moments and lasting memories.
BRAND DESIGN
Developing
Modern Folklore.
Southern Distilling Company’s extraordinary blend of tradition and innovation is the stuff of legends. Or, as we like to call it, Modern Folklore. Modern Folklore is a design metaphor used to curate the visual universe that the brand character inhabits.
A traditional take on modern times, Modern Folklore pulled in the culture of Statesville and the surrounding area, highlighting local environments, people, flora, and fauna as a maximalized cocktail of design elements.
DESIGN SYSTEM
Blending tradition
and innovation using
texture and layering.
Using Modern Folklore as inspiration, we developed a toolkit of supporting elements, including authentic, aged artifacts, textual patterns, vector graphics, and custom designed heritage marks. From this system, we developed a library of key art and ad-like examples. Our modular system features brand elements that can be used in all forms of internal and external communications.
MESSAGING SYSTEMS
Speaking to
The Adventurous
Tastemaker.
As an extension of our brand character, The Deliberate Dreamer, we developed a voice that expresses Southern Distilling Company’s personality and purpose. We developed central goals and themes that keep messaging on brand and consistent.
BRAND ACTIVATION
What whiskey
tradition looks like.
Everything we created for the brand had to feel authentic, and true to the whiskey-soaked heritage that Statesville, North Carolina offered. So we created an original image library that would transport Southern Distilling Company’s audience to the place where new history is being made. These owned photography assets tell the brand’s story through a gritty and textured aesthetic that defines Modern Folklore.
DIGITAL EXPERIENCE
A brand made
to be explored
and experienced.
We designed and developed a bespoke website that brought the brand to life through motion, storytelling, and an intuitive user experience. Southern Distilling Company’s new website is now worthy of their award-winning bourbons and ryes.
MARKETING STRATEGY
Timely demand
for a timeless brand.
An effective marketing strategy relies on more than powerful words and creative — it takes understanding. Understanding the business, the consumer, the stories they care about, and the channels that influence them.
Our marketing strategy utilizes two key frameworks: a go-to-market plan and a Communications Blueprint. The go-to-market plan defines the budget, the journey, and the channels, and the Communication Blueprint details the timing, the narratives, and the actions.
INTEGRATED CAMPAIGN
We were
Made For This.
Outfitted with brand guidelines, a story to tell, and a strategy for telling it, we created a campaign to share Southern Distilling Company’s values, vision, and award-winning whiskeys with the world. “Made for This” showcased life’s great moments, made a little bit greater with a whiskey worth savoring.
OUTCOMES OVER OUTPUT
“This direction finally makes us look like a world-class brand. We can punch above our weight.”
Pete Barger, Chief Executive Officer.
