FRIENDS OF LAPHROAIG 30TH ANNIVERSARY

CELEBRATING FRIENDS OLD AND NEW

Creating an activation platform to celebrate 30 years of the highly successful Friends of Laphroaig CRM program. Wonderworks developed a comprehensive activation toolkit with consumer engagement tactics, experiences, tools, and assets to provide markets with everything they needed to make an impact around a momentous brand occasion.

Creative Strategy | Comms | Asset Design | Toolkit Development

The Challenge

To breathe fresh life into the existing Friends of Laphroaig US program to re-engage existing members and recruit new ones throughout its 30th anniversary. The platform needed to drive brand awareness, reappraise Laphroaig drinkers, and encourage liquid on lips through engaging consumer activations across on, off, and non-premise channels.

The Insight

Launched back in 1994, by then distillery manager Iain Henderson, Friends of Laphroaig is one of the world’s biggest and best communities. The platform is one of the most successful CRM programs across the Suntory Global Spirits portfolio, with over 260,000 members worldwide. These individuals connect over a shared love of Islay whisky and Laphroaig’s bold, characterful nature. The program users gain access to exclusive rewards and benefits as they progress through the Laphroaig journey.

The Approach

We harnessed the occasion to celebrate 30 years of friendship. Our friendships define us, they build our character through special moments shared and memories made. We encouraged our Friends to share their tales of Laphroaig at the heart of our community to celebrate the unique ways whisky brings people together from across the globe.

Harness Moments of Connection to Bring People Together

We developed a calendar of events throughout the celebratory year that celebrated friendship, our Scottish homeland, and the traditions of our American friends. Each activation tapped into important cultural moments such as Thanksgiving to bring people together. We used simple tactics to encourage existing members to bring a friend and make new memories. Acting as opportunities to attract new members to sign up to the Friends of Laphroaig platform and encourage liquid on lips.

Make Memories Through A Celebratory Serve

Whisky is at the heart of Laphroaig and we wanted to celebrate this by creating a commemorative cocktail for guests to enjoy at each event throughout the anniversary year. This created a partnership and engagement opportunity with key trade accounts to create a bespoke celebratory cocktail and serve Laphroaig their way.  Not only this, but the drink builds better brand awareness and drives future sales of Laphroaig protecting future success.

Develop Hard-Working Assets That Encourage Story Sharing

Across our calendar of events, it was important to create hard-working assets that encouraged the sharing of stories and become a keepsake for attendees. We developed a lock-up that would be used across all assets to commemorate 30 years of friendship and associated assets such as storytelling cards, photobooth pictures, and a commemorative pin to enhance the experiences beyond the familiar.

 Within the off-premise channel, we created sampling opportunities designed to recruit new drinkers and Friends of Laphroaig members through our delicious whisky. We leveraged a money-can’t-buy competition to create excitement and engage the trade and consumers with the brand.

THE WONDER

The Friends of Laphroaig 30th Anniversary celebrations last year were a remarkable success, with assets making their mark across markets. We were delighted to spot some at Feis Ile Festival on Islay in May —a true testament to the strength of this iconic whisky community. Here’s to raising a dram in celebration of friendships forged and memories made!

Sláinte