Bourbon brand Wild Turkey has launched a refresh of its products, placing its iconic bird front and centre across its RTD range.
Spanning cans and bottles, flavours, alcohol strengths, and Zero Sugar variants, the evolved portfolio draws more heavily on an iconic brand asset that has represented generations of Wild Turkey’s bourbon heritage.
The new packaging system was developed by Sydney brand strategy and design agency The Creative Method, which was tasked with evolving the range while keeping it unmistakably Wild Turkey.
Rather than going looking for something new, The Creative Method found the answer hiding in plain sight.
The turkey illustration has been given a more prominent role across the portfolio, supported by a stronger visual hierarchy across formats and variants. A richer use of gold reinforces Wild Turkey’s warmth and bourbon credentials, while the bird creates an immediate and recognisable thread across the entire range.
Mark Watson, marketing director at Campari Australia said: “Wild Turkey has generations of bourbon heritage behind it and the turkey itself is an important part of that story. We wanted the RTD portfolio to better reflect the
uncompromising spirit and conviction and have greater standout on shelf, while remaining instantly recognisable to Wild Turkey drinkers.
“The evolved system heroes an asset that’s uniquely ours and gives us a stronger and more distinctive presence across the range.”
The Creative Method founder and creative director Tony Ibbotson added: “When you’re working with a brand people have known for generations, the temptation can be to demonstrate change by changing everything,” says Ibbotson.
“But the better question is: what have you already got that nobody else can own? “Icons and images are more immediate and can carry more personality than wordmarks or type-based logos. For Wild Turkey, that icon was staring us in the face. Any bird that aesthetically challenging deserved some more love!
“The turkey already carried generations of recognition, character and story. We didn’t need to invent another brand asset.
Instead, he said, they wanted to amplify the one they already had.
“Wild Turkey already had the story. We just made it harder to miss.”
