Sharing the Spirit of Harris
From the wild shores of Harris comes a gin unlike any other—a spirit born of the sea, crafted with care in the heart of Tarbert. Infused with local water and maritime botanicals, each bottle captures the essence of this rugged island, weaving its story into every sip.
Background
Building on the success of 2022’s Winter Cèilidh campaign—which celebrated the warmth of connection and the joy of sharing Harris Gin during the festive season—we evolved the concept to focus on promoting their beautifully crafted gin gift sets.
The 2023 campaign expanded on the celebration of Hebridean traditions, shifting toward gift-giving moments. The challenge was to balance the warmth and heritage of Harris with the premium and elemental qualities of the product, while delivering measurable results across paid social and digital Out Of Home (OOH) advertising.
Our Strategy
We identified three core priorities for the 2023 campaign:
1. Exclusive Online Gifting: Position Isle of Harris Gin gift sets as the perfect holiday gift, available exclusively through the Isle of Harris Distillery’s online store, offering a unique way to share moments of connection and warmth with loved ones.
2. Strengthening Brand Identity: Build the Isle of Harris Gin brand by emphasising its elemental nature and the craftsmanship behind the gift sets, using creative assets that showcase texture, detail, and movement to elevate its premium positioning.
3. Engaging Paid Media: Optimise motion-based content across paid social and digital OOH to increase engagement and boost sales performance.
The Winter Cèilidh Concept
At the heart of the campaign was the Outer Hebridean tradition of the Cèilidh, a relaxed gathering of family and friends by the fireside. This spirit of connection, music and stories aligned perfectly with the festive season.
Our primary message, Share Our Island Spirit, served as the anchor, extending into sub-messages which were woven across the campaign to reflect the joy of giving and receiving during the holidays.
Showcasing the Gift Sets
Using film, we captured the tactile beauty and premium quality of the gift packs, featuring layers, elegant unboxing reveals, and intricate details. Motion assets featured focus pulls, gentle rotation, and shallow depth of field to give a luxurious and immersive feel.
Our Paid Media Strategy
To promote exclusive gifting online, we used the Winter Ceilidh creative to encourage connection, sharing – and ultimately gifting – by raising awareness, activating locally and driving sales cost-effectively. Our strategy included using national media (Classic FM promotion) to reach affluent audiences at scale and encourage engagement both with the brand and the Ceilidh concept.
We also utilised Digital Out of Home to target premium locations to align with the brand’s luxury positioning and increase visibility during the gifting season. Alongside this brand awareness and local targeting, we also reached core consumers with direct response ads to encourage gifting and sales via the website.
Results
The 2023 Winter Cèilidh campaign successfully evolved the storytelling of Isle of Harris Gin, capturing the warmth of the festive season while showcasing the premium quality of their gift sets. By combining engaging messaging, stunning visuals, and a strategic media plan, we helped the brand share their island spirit with the world and celebrate the joy of connection during the holidays.
Key Achievements:
Awareness and Reach: In 2023, we delivered 85% more impressions and increased clicks to site by 24%, generating more awareness compared to the previous year.
Search & Shopping: Compared to 2022, impression for Search increased from 35,418 to 46,730 and Shopping increased from 122,807 to 236,408.
DAX Audio Network: These platforms were used to bolster the reach and frequency of our outdoor campaigns in these areas. Listen rates were excellent at 94%. Well above the industry benchmarks of around 80%.
Classic FM Scotland – Solus Newsletter: An open rate of 44%. Well above industry benchmarks of 20%. 27% opting in for client emails.