Advertising firm Stagwell secures Heaven Hill Spirits' comprehensive marketing duties
Heaven Hill Brands, a prominent independent and family-owned spirits supplier, has announced a new marketing strategy that consolidates creative and media accounts under a single, integrated team. The newly appointed agencies, MONO and Assembly, will work across ten brands, including Heaven Hill Distillery, Widow Jane Bourbon, Tequila Ocho, Lunazul Tequila, Deep Eddy Vodka, Hpnotiq, PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur, Bluecoat Gin, and more.
The move reflects a growing appetite among marketers for data-informed storytelling and a return to portfolio-wide thinking, as stated by Jim Scott, founder and CEO of MONO. This shift is part of a broader effort to introduce a refreshed brand identity that emphasizes collaboration and shared values, symbolized by the company's new tagline, "Thriving Together."
MONO will handle creative development, focusing on brand strategy and creative campaigns that align with Heaven Hill's refreshed brand image. This includes storytelling and message consistency across all brands. Assembly, Stagwell's media arm, will manage media planning and buying, as well as performance analytics. The agencies will work together to integrate creative and media strategies to enhance brand visibility and engagement.
The remit for these agencies includes brand strategy, creative development, media planning and buying, and performance analytics. The first work for Heaven Hill Brands is expected to launch in the fall, with additional work rolling out through 2026.
Heaven Hill operates across the spectrum of the spirits landscape, from tequila to whiskey to gin. The focus is on leveraging data to inform creative decisions and drive more cohesive brand messaging across all these brands.
Scott emphasized the importance of being "very sharp about showing up in the right place, saying the right things, at the right time." He also mentioned that it was time for Heaven Hill to "get their house in order... and go to market with a more cohesive strategy."
AI tools are reshaping staffing and workflows at agencies, but human creativity remains irreplaceable, according to Scott. He believes that AI can make teams far more productive. Stagwell has merged three production shops into one, named Unreasonable Studios, to capitalize on this potential.
The pitch process began in February and concluded in late May, with final presentations focused on Deep Eddy Vodka and Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon. The agency is hiring across several roles to support the new account. Scott stated that he cannot replace human tasting sessions with AI for understanding the taste of a seven-year-old bourbon.
This is the first time Heaven Hill is consolidating its creative and media accounts under a single, integrated team, marking a significant step in the company's journey towards a more cohesive and data-driven marketing strategy.
- In a bid to showcase a more unified brand identity, Heaven Hill Brands has assigned MONO, an agency known for data-informed storytelling, to develop creative strategies that ensure consistent messaging across all brands, encompassing brand strategy, creative campaigns, and storytelling for Heaven Hill's spirits portfolio.
- Given the growing emphasis on collaboration and shared values, Assembly, Stagwell's media arm, will manage media planning, buying, and performance analytics for Heaven Hill Brands, aiming to integrate creative and media strategies for enhanced visibility and engagement of the various spirits brands, from tequila to gin.
