Campari whiskey brand Wild Turkey has selected Berlin Cameron as its U.S. agency of record, following a review.
The WPP agency will be tasked with overseeing all creative output for the brand in the U.S., including digital, social and experiential work.
“Our consumers define everything we do and we simply want to have a nationwide conversation with them over great cocktails. Berlin Cameron made it an easy decision for us as they seamlessly brought to life how to engage in that conversation about our heritage, passion for making great whiskey, and brand values,” Campari director, dark spirits Sean Yelle said in a statement. “We are experiencing aggressive growth, but with the help from Berlin Cameron we believe there is further acceleration in our future.”
Berlin Cameron managing director Karen Flanagan will lead the account, with founder and CCO Ewen Cameron and creative director Joel Arnold overseeing creative output. The agency’s first work for the brand is expected some time this year.
“We are excited to work with a brand with such a deep legacy, rich story and superior quality,” Flanagan said in a statement. “With our heritage in the spirits space, we’re thrilled to be Wild Turkey’s new partner to bring their strong roots to life in bold and transformative ways.”
Wild Turkey’s ad spending has varied considerably over the past couple of years. Wild Turkey spent just over $3 million on measured marketing domestically last year, down from over $14 million in 2017, according to Kantar Media. The brand’s spending in the first quarter of 2019 was just around $1,000, according to Kanter Media, as it presumably paused the majority of its marketing efforts while it reviewed its advertising account.
JWT New York had handled creative for Wild Turkey since 2016. Wunderman Thompson remains a global agency partner outside of the U.S. for the brand at this time. Matthew McConaughey, who arrived as brand ambassador and “creative director” around the same time, will continue in those roles for the brand. Back in November of 2017, McConaughey gave away turkeys to residents of Wild Turkey’s hometown of Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, for its “Give Back for Thanksgiving” campaign. Last April, McConaughey collaborated with Wild Turkey head distiller Eddie Russell on a new bourbon called Longbranch and will also continue as a business partner for that venture.