Evolving How a Spirits Brand Goes to Market
Client // Pernod Ricard New Brand Ventures, Plymouth Gin
Assignment: Innovation Strategy · Experience Design · Digital Experience · Innovation Program Development · Prototyping & App Design
The Challenge
Pernod Ricard manages a vast portfolio of beloved spirits brands—but faces a fundamental industry constraint: alcohol cannot be sold direct-to-consumer, therefore brands don’t own the customer relationship. In this environment, marketing has historically meant one thing: traditional brand advertising, with limited avenues for deeper engagement.
The New Brand Ventures team came to us with a pivotal question: How can these brands create direct, meaningful consumer connections in a space where DTC is off the table? The re-launch of Plymouth Gin, a 300-year-old heritage brand, raised the stakes even further. This wasn’t just about new tactics—it was about redefining what consumer engagement could look like for an entire category.
The Insight
Consumers were increasingly eager to explore, learn, and connect—especially in premium spirits. In 2019, curiosity around the category was rising and heritage brands were gaining traction. Through consumer research we uncovered an opportunity hiding in plain sight: Even without DTC, people crave authentic moments of connection—with brands, with stories, and with each other. For Plymouth Gin specifically, relevance wasn’t the problem, access was. The brand needed modern pathways for people to participate in its world—without violating regulatory constraints.
What We Did
Two Things partnered with New Brand Ventures to build an innovation program that balanced experimentation with business rigor.
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We developed a series of test-and-learn initiatives designed to rapidly validate new approaches to consumer engagement across the spirits portfolio.
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We identified cultural territories where Plymouth could authentically show up: Spaces where consumers naturally gather to share stories, discover new experiences, and connect with like-minded people.
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We created and prototyped concepts ready for market: From lightweight digital touchpoints to more immersive AR and VR experiences—each designed to foster participation, not just passive awareness.
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We built a measurement framework to compare ROI: A standardized model that tracked how these experiments performed relative to traditional marketing, enabling NBV to evaluate impact with clarity.
What emerged surprised even the internal team: Two SMS-based games dramatically outperformed more complex initiatives, driving not just list growth but genuine human connection—through shared experiences, storytelling, and real-world interaction. Across the program, emerging technology was harnessed not as novelty, but as a way to deepen consumer value and expand what engagement can look like in a regulated category.
The Result
The work reframed how Pernod Ricard’s teams think about consumer connection—proving that meaningful engagement is possible even without DTC.
Key outcomes included:
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A repeatable test-and-learn model for modern consumer engagement
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Validated concepts that outperformed traditional marketing benchmarks
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A measurement system enabling cross-initiative comparison and portfolio learning
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Clear demonstration that lightweight, human-centered experiences can drive disproportionate impact
This work laid the foundation for a more modern, participatory relationship with consumers across the Pernod Ricard portfolio.