Jim Beam is one of the world’s best‑selling bourbon brands, with over 200 years of history and a firm place among global spirits leaders. In Ukraine, however, the brand’s communications closely mirrored its international positioning, and it was time to make them resonate more deeply with local audiences.
We proposed adapting Jim Beam’s global identity to the local context, adding a more emotional layer to its messaging. Our focus was social media, and the results reached millions. Here’s how we did it.
The Challenge: Balancing Global Heritage With Local Relevance
Until recently, Jim Beam’s communications in Ukraine neither visually nor conceptually reflected local culture. We needed to rethink the brand’s positioning for Ukrainian consumers while staying true to its global DNA.
Campaign objectives:
- Build stronger brand awareness by refreshing the visual identity and creating a cohesive look & feel on social media, blending global and local contexts.
- Add emotional depth: position the brand as part of authentic moments and warm gatherings.
- Grow a loyal community by boosting your digital presence and engaging audiences with meaningful content.
Key hurdles:
- Competing with well‑established international spirits brands that rarely adapt their messaging to local culture.
- Starting from scratch: Jim Beam had no dedicated Ukrainian social media pages — only global channels.
Our Approach: Bring the Brand Closer to Real Life
To meet these goals, we combined several strategic elements:
- Localized global brand assets through cultural triggers — seasonal events, local holidays, and at‑home get‑togethers.
- Shifted the communication focus from the product itself to the people and moments around it.
- Tailored content to each season and timely events.
- Used dynamic formats, including original locally produced video content.
The creative concept: Jim Beam as “the soul of the party.”
Not just a bourbon, but a brand that brings people together and celebrates shared experiences.
We selected the most relevant platforms for our audience — Instagram and Facebook.
What We delivered: Content, Visuals, Community
From April to December 2024, we built a full‑funnel content ecosystem to rethink how the brand communicates:
- Launched local Instagram and Facebook pages and kept them active with regular content: 8 posts and 12 stories per month, featuring visuals from local production teams.
- Produced a series of immersive first‑person videos with cinematic transitions for a “you‑are‑there” effect. Shot on real locations with Ukrainian bartenders and models, each frame was hand‑styled. Formats were adapted for Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube — from Reels and in‑stream ads to bumpers.
- Crafted a unified visual identity across channels — consistent colors, typography, and treatments that made the brand instantly recognizable in the feed.
- Kept content dynamic and relatable: cocktail recipes, reels, seasonal humor, and celebratory visuals made Jim Beam feel like a natural part of users’ everyday scroll.
Cultural details — locations, outfits, events — were carefully woven into the visuals to anchor the brand in the local scene.
The Results: Reach, Engagement, and a Real Community
Our efforts reached over 6 million users — 63.52% of the target audience — and generated more than 23,000 interactions.
Key metrics:
- Video views: 29K+ on Instagram, 506K+ on Facebook.
- Bumper ad VTR: 95.82%.
- New followers: 1.3K+ on Instagram, 3.8K on Facebook.
- Engagement rate: 30.74% on Instagram, 10.74% on Facebook — well above category benchmarks for alcoholic beverages.
- Top‑performing Instagram posts featured handcrafted shoots, achieving ERs up to 30.74%.
- On Facebook, 80% of the best‑performing posts by organic reach were locally produced visuals, with an average ER of 10.74%.
The Outcome:
We revitalized Jim Beam’s visual and emotional presence in Ukraine by merging its global image with local cultural codes. Emotional storytelling fostered a genuine community around the brand, as evidenced by high save rates, positive reactions, and increased shares.
