Wild Turkey Whisky Campaign Stars A Smouldering Matthew McConaughey

Wild Turkey has announced the launch of its new global creative campaign and platform, ‘Trust Your Spirit’, featuring the brand’s creative director and spokesperson, Matthew McConaughey.

The global campaign and platform ‘Trust Your Spirit’ is to encourage people to be bold, unapologetically themselves, and stay true to who they are. The global tagline and ethos also acts as a spirited tribute to the Russell family, three generations of Wild Turkey master distillers who are responsible for crafting some of the world’s finest bourbon and spirits for over 100 years.

Shot on location in McConaughey’s hometown of Austin, Texas, the eight short films also embody the spirit and home of Wild Turkey in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky through archived footage and state-of-the-art projection mapping.

The creative storyline across the films follows spokesperson and creative director McConaughey’s journey of discovering the true meaning of trusting one’s spirit as he explores the grounds of the Wild Turkey rickhouse and its storied history. The track “Black Moon Rising”, by Austin musicians Black Pumas, pays homage to the band’s home state and McConaughey’s modern cowboy persona in his home state, Texas.

Australia will be the first country worldwide to release the new creative and global platform. It also marks the first global communication since the previous ‘Real Bourbon, No Apologies’ platform, which served as an authentic brand tagline and enduring mantra.

The campaign will launch in Australia via a series of TVCs, starting with two of the short films – ‘Jimmy’s Spirit’, a 30” homage to master distiller and “Buddha of Bourbon” legend Jimmy Russell, in tandem with a 15” creative spot, ‘The Stars’.

Portraying the iconic Wild Turkey rickhouse at dusk, ‘Jimmy’s Spirit’ channels the Wild Turkey story of the Russells. It sees McConaughey toast to Jimmy Russell, Wild Turkey’s master distiller, who has always trusted his spirit in crafting the perfect Kentucky bourbon, culminating in “Here’s to Jimmy and his spirit – he trusted it”.

‘The Stars’ finds McConaughey on the picturesque grounds of the Wild Turkey distillery, gazing upon the sky and reflecting on man’s relationship with a celestial universe. The roof of the Kentucky rickhouse frames a time-lapse projection of shooting stars with long exposure photography.

It concludes with an observation from McConaughey drawing parallels across humans and stars – each has their own unique sparkle and spirit. He remarks that the world can be a beautiful place “if we all trust our spirit” . . . as he watches the sun break the horizon, in true McConaughey fashion.

Paolo Marinoni, marketing director, Campari Australia and New Zealand said, “Wild Turkey has been made the same way for generations, with each bottle standing as a lasting reminder of the importance of staying true to yourself and seeking out moments in life that are rich and meaningful.”

‘Trust Your Spirit’ marks a turning point for Wild Turkey. It delivers a unique and dynamic message, wholly authentic to the ethos and legacy of the brand. This platform illustrates Wild Turkey’s bold personality and point of view, while continuing to pay homage to its rich history and craft.”

Matthew McConaughey, Wild Turkey creative director remarks, “Trust Your Spirit delivers eight short films in various formats that we will air all over the globe. We explored three territories to passionately convey the brand’s championing spirit, the spirit itself, and the human spirit.

“In all its forms and just like Wild Turkey, ‘Trust Your Spirit’ is bold and unapologetically confident. This spirit of trust dates back for generations of the Russell family – world-renowned bourbon makers who toast those who also trust their spirit. We’re very proud of this campaign. It’s about celebrating that ethereal voice we all have inside. It’s life undiluted.”

The TVCs will air across the Nine and Ten Networks in Australia through till November 2021. Entertainment and sport placements include The Block, Love Island, 60 Minutes, The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, Masked Singer, Have You Been Paying Attention? and Gogglebox.

CREDITS

Wild Turkey:

• Global Senior Director: Mattia Carlozzo
• Global Whiskey Director: Joseph Baide
• Global Senior Brand Manager: Stacey Beerman
• Senior Global PR Manager: Erin Smolinski

Wild Turkey AU:

• Marketing Director: Paolo Marinoni
• Group Marketing Manager: Mark Little
• Senior Brand Manager: Sian Ryan
• Brand Manager: Christopher Ward

Creative and production:

• Executive Creative Director: Josh Combs

Creatives: August Östberg, David Svedenström, Graham Davis

• Executive Producer: Karen McKibben
• Senior Producer: Thomas Martin
• Production Company: Furlined
• Director: Ben Tricklebank
• Director of Photography: Max Goldman
• Post Production: Therapy Studios
• Editor: Doobie White
• Executive Producer: Margaret Ward
• Photographer: Fernando Decillis
• Music: Black Pumas “Black Moon Rising”