brand profile

re-presents no changes inside the bottle, but the entire line’s look has been updated & unified

By jack robertiello

hen companies approach making significant changes in packaging upgrade that better reflects their public image or the look of their key products, inertia the quality liquid in the package.” Unifying such a diverse line-up—ten often wins out, leaving the final changes rather minor and different whiskies including five flavored mostly unnoticed. That won’t be the case when the newly iterations bearing the Beam brand are cur- Wredesigned Jim Beam portfolio starts hitting retailers’ shelves this summer. rently sold internationally—was upper- most in the brand team’s mind, Frank says: “Our products are in more than 100 With these, the first significant much as legal restrictions allow. markets so the global unification changes made to the world’s best-selling Already, the products have Jim Beam’s ten across variants and products was bourbon in decades, Beam has been introduced to consumers different products a key objective of the redesign. are sold in over taken a giant step to align all of the and the trade being in the UK, 100 markets We want to make sure whatever whiskies sold globally bearing the name in Germany and a number of globally. product the consumer chooses, of one of the founders of the American smaller European markets. they know they are getting a Jim whiskey industry in a unified package. It is “It’s been decades since we Beam-quality product.” a step made all the more critical given that made any changes to the packaging,” The various iterations, introduced the whiskey’s namesake is also prominent says Megan Frank, Vice President of over the course of decades, had been in the corporate name, . Marketing for Jim Beam Global. “The impacted by a variety of design elements A total of ten iterations will be rolled main driver is that Jim Beam has been and tweaks which, while current when out in new threads, from the iconic undergoing double-digit growth over introduced, had been altered over time, Jim Beam White Label to Jim Beam the past several years as bourbon booms and looked different in different markets. Fire, with Jim Beam Black internationally, and this was deemed and others getting an even more serious an ideal opportunity to unify our global Structure & Substance makeover. This isn’t just a U.S. revamp; range of products in order to solidify our The new Jim Beam bottle has a bolder the products in the redesign are all sold position as a global icon, the number structure with a clean label design internationally, and will be aligned as one bourbon in the world, and offer a featuring premium finishes, spruced-up brand profile milestones

Spanning seven generations and more finishes. And from a communications than 200 years, the whiskey legacy standpoint, our vision with this packaging of Jim Beam started before Kentucky upgrade is to reflect the premium quality was a state. Here are some of the of the liquid inside and create a more milestones in the brand’s product cohesive range across the entire Jim Beam development. portfolio worldwide, reflecting the quality, craftsmanship and heritage of the brand in 1795 - Jacob Beam sells his first barrel of a contemporary and relevant way that “Old Jake Beam ” would speak to both existing and 1934 - After Repeal, 69-year-old Jim Frederick Booker new consumers,” says Frank. Beam and son T. Jeremiah rebuild the Noe III, Jim Beam’s The intent is for the distillery by hand in 120 days and the first great-grandson and current Master updated bottle and exterior post-Prohibition Jim Beam Bourbon is sold Distiller (and better styling to represent better known as Fred), had 1938 - Jim Beam , made with 51% rye, distiller portraits and a his name added to the the premium bourbon inside, is born, sporting a green label and drier, refined version of the classic Jim Beam bottle label with no changes in taste in 2007. spicier profile “B” rosette logo. Jim Beam planned and still following the 1978 - Jim Beam Black, a premium Bourbon, Jim Beam Apple, Jim same Jim Beam family recipe used bourbon made to be sipped, is introduced Beam Honey, Jim Beam Maple, Jim during the past two centuries. The hope Beam Kentucky Fire, and Red Stag by Jim is this redesign will contemporize the Jim 1988 - Booker Noe introduces Booker’s, Beam have all undergone changes, with Beam brand while celebrating its heritage. the first small-batch bourbon from Jim higher shoulders and a more squared off Making the changes took detailed Beam, uncut and unfiltered look for the bottle, and unified styling, planning, says Frank: “With seven plants 1992 - Baker’s, Basil Hayden’s and Knob word and logo positioning and coloring. across the globe, this was a far reaching and Creek join Booker’s, creating The Small Four of the products—Jim Beam sizable cross functional project. It pretty Batch Bourbon Collection; Devil’s Cut, Jim Beam Rye, Jim Beam much involved every stakeholder at Beam. soon becomes the world’s top-selling Black and Jim Beam Bonded Bourbon— While the new package is just beginning to super-premium bourbon feature a bolder, more rectangular bottle roll out, anecdotally the response has been 2009 - Red Stag by Jim Beam launches, structure with premium label enhance- overwhelmingly positive from customers triggering an explosion of flavors ments, including extra detailing, crafted and the trade alike.” innovation in the bourbon category borders, gold foil finishes, refined em- 2011 - Jim Beam Devil’s Cut debuts, via a bossing and a matte paper stock, with a More Innovation Ahead new twist on an old technique: barrel- matte-finished shrink sleeve along the Retailers will have barely adjusted sweating with heat, water and agitation to closure. The overall look, which shares to the new appearance of these old extract flavor from deep inside the wood a profile with many pre-Prohibition bot- favorites before a new kid enters the tles, is meant to convey a more premium block. Previously available mainly in 2013 - Three new products hit shelves: image while still clearly being part of the global travel retail sector but targeted for Jim Beam Honey and Jim Beam Maple, tapping the latest flavor trends, and newly redesigned Beam portfolio. launch in the U.S. this September, Jim Signature Craft 12 Year, full bodied, with Beam Double Oak will be joining the sweet vanilla notes and rich and robust oak Mid-Boom Timing, newly spruced up line-up. flavors—the pride of the rackhouse Global Reach Like all bourbons, Jim Beam Double With the project of recreating the package Oak is first aged in new, charred American 2012 - Founder Jacob Beam’s first taking about two years, the Jim Beam brand white oak barrels, but after four years the whiskey was white; with Jacob’s Ghost, Jim team decided on a course of action built liquid is then transferred into a second Beam perfects his 200-year-old recipe on the back of the international whiskey freshly charred barrel to be finished 2014 - Jim Beam Kentucky Fire spices boom. “We looked at the competitive there. The added interaction with the things up, mixing Kentucky Straight landscape and market dynamics of oak results, according to the company, in Bourbon with red-hot cinnamon liqueur, bourbon as it was booming globally, and a liquid intense in flavor and smooth in delivering a fiery, sweet kick. realized it would be an ideal time to make taste. Set to debut in July, the expression 2015 - Premium bourbon meets the juicy these refinements. The bottle now has will join its Jim Beam siblings as part of refreshment of apple in Jim Beam Apple, a bolder structure and more premium the new improved brand packaging. n ready to enjoy straight, on the rocks or with club soda and a lemon wedge