Distilling Your Brand Message
When Fawn Weaver learned of the intersection of Jack Daniel and Uncle Nearest, her spirits rose.
During travels in Asia, Weaver saw a photo of THE Jack Daniels surrounded by co-workers. In the center of the picture was a black man, as if he was the most crucial person in this group.
She had to discover the rest of the story.
Who was this black man in the nineteenth century at the center of this group of white men? It turns out he was the son of Uncle Nearest. His name was George Green. Green was the master distiller who studied under his father – Uncle Nearest Green.
Weaver’s curiosity peaked.
A decade before this photo was taken, Uncle Nearest was enslaved and eventually became a free man near Lynchburg, Tennessee. Uncle Nearest taught Jaspar Jack Daniels how to distill and create Tennessee Whiskey, and a decade later, his son George continued the tradition.
Inspired to learn more, Weaver hired journalists and researchers to help dig into the whole story so it could be told and shared. Inspired by this history, she purchased a 300-acre farm near Lynchburg, Tennessee, where Uncle taught Jack how to distill. She had zero experience in distilling but was moved to set up the Nearest Green Distillery in Shelbyville, Tennessee.
Today, Uncle Nearest is the fast-growing premium whiskey brand in the U.S. and the top-selling African American founded spirit brand. In addition, she has set up a 501 (c) (3) non-profit that gives scholarships to Uncle Nearest’s descendants. This year they’ll pass h $100MM in revenue.
What a remarkable marketing success story.
I’m intrigued by how Fawn is weaving together this story.
How Do You Market the History and The Essence of a Brand?
What’s the best way to distill this story and express the spirit of this entrepreneurial venture? Weaver hired an Emmy-award-winning actor, Jeffrey Wright, to tell the story through video so that she had an anchor asset that would be viewed millions of times.
This video investment is the cornerstone of her brand. It is eight minutes long but beautiful and poetically communicates what she felt as she learned about Uncle Nearest. I’d urge you to watch it here if you can’t see the video below.
Note how slowly the story is told. Intentional. Carefully crafted. The cadence is aged carefully, like the whiskey.
If you are creating a brand and want to tell an impressive back story, video is the best tool to emotionally connect prospects with the novel elements of your brand essence. The Uncle Nearest story is rare – but any well-scripted story that connects emotionally and hits the right tone and voice can be a robust foundation for brand building.
Not every brand can hire a renowned actor, but if you invest in a well-crafted script, you can bring your brand to life.
Investing in a superb script is one of the best marketing tactics you can make for your brand. It takes your product into connection, community, and memory. It shapes the story so that you share it with your friends. And there is no better way to market than through word of mouth.
An outstanding video gives your product what is needed to bring your brand and story to life.
I’d suggest the script be created with two lengths in mind. One for a website and one that can be used for 30 or 60-second needs like on social media.
Watch the video and listen to how beautifully crafted the story is and the tone in telling it.
Narrated by Emmy-Award-winning actor Jeffrey Wright, this beautifully shot a short film, telling the story of the first known African-American master distiller, is about much more than whiskey.
The story is the hero.
This story of honor, respect and an unlikely friendship could be the most remarkable American story you never heard.
Great whiskey needs to be distilled.
So does your brand’s story.
You can set up a time to chat with me about your marketing challenges using my calendar. Email me jeffslater@themarketingsage.com Call me. 919 720 0995. The conversation is free, and we can explore if working together makes sense. Watch a short video about working with me.
Photos courtesy of Wikipedia and Uncle Nearest Brand. All rights reserved.
