The Kentucky Bourbon Trail was formed 25 years ago as a way for seven distillers to share their creations. Since then, it has grown into a popular wat to explore 46 signature and craft bourbon distilleries drawing more than 2.5 million visitors from all 50 states and 25 countries. As the Bourbon Trail approached its 25th anniversary, the Kentucky Distillers’ Association turned to Lewis Communications to overhaul their brand identity and offer strategic guidance on the brand to better prepare it for the next generation of visitors.
As part of the rebrand, Lewis created a multiplatform creative campaign with messaging crafted to better position a Kentucky Bourbon Trail that had grown and transformed since its inception. The core idea: today’s Kentucky Bourbon Trail is an attainable, world-class experience best enjoyed when savored. The revamped brand and campaign were crafted to convey this new reality, highlighting excitement, adventure and allure.
The campaign’s overall tone took inspiration from the visual history of Bourbon packaging and culture as well as the distilling process itself. Lewis also drew on the visual vernacular of expeditionary signage and symbols — trail signs and so forth. All this was filtered through art direction and language with an elegant, sophisticated tone, not unlike successful luxury brands. In addition to the new identity, creating a new digital experience was critical. The new site now allows for better tracking, optimization and understanding of visitors which will in turn hep the KBT and distilleries better plan for the future.
Lewis Communications recently capped off the rebrand and creative campaign launch with a global, 24-hour-long World Bourbon Toast streamed live on YouTube, aimed at engaging with bourbon enthusiasts around the world and increasing awareness of the evolution of Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
