real stories, true rum
Over a decade I saw this brand evolve to be a fully fledge multi-channel global campaign. WIRSPA (West Indies Rum Spirits Producers’ Association) represents 20 leading rum producers from the Caribbean. They needed to spread the word about rum across the world and trigger a rum renaissance. At the heart was the Authentic Caribbean Marque – a symbol of authenticity, provenance and quality that consumers and trade could quickly identify.
In this campaign's many manifestations, it’s always been about the real stories behind the rum. Initially I worked on the original ‘True Rum’ campaign, featuring the real master blenders, bartenders and distillers to bring the human story to the forefront. Poetic and genuine, their voices got the campaign started and the rum flowing. This was supported by a website which told the story of every rum distiller in the Caribbean.
But to get rum into the bars themselves, we also needed to talk to the trade. Not just using advertising, but also supporting their education in rum.
Alongside trade ads, I also wrote ‘The Black Book of Rum’, a directory for bartenders and influencers across the world that defined the best places to drink rum.
This was a campaign that just kept giving, with direct marketing, promotional materials, educational resources and promotional displays all building a bigger profile for Caribbean rum all over the world.
