WhistlePig UK Partnership
"How the Axiom Brands x WhistlePig partnership revolutionised the luxury rye whiskey category in the UK"
The whiskey crowd is a famously tough crowd and they know what they like. It would take a truly special spirit to turn their heads. Enter WhistlePig – now the most awarded rye whiskey maker in the world – lovingly crafted on an old dairy farm in Vermont before transforming into today’s single-estate farm distillery - and Axiom Brands, the UK specialist brand builder and nurturer of luxury spirits. Here’s how this partnership established WhistlePig as the luxury rye whiskey in the UK
∙ In 2015 luxury rye whiskey was a brand new category for the UK
∙ Launch a product that retails for +£20 than most competitors
∙ Convince mid-range American whiskey drinkers or luxury Scotch drinkers to switch brands
∙ Establish WhistlePig as the luxury rye whiskey in the UK
∙ Build trade distribution for the 10 year with classic and cocktail menu listings
∙ Create consumer demand for its limited edition annual releases
Axiom’s relationships – with its brands, customers and colleagues – are a huge part of what drives its success. That’s how we learned of top UK mixologists sneaking bottles of WhistlePig back from the US in their suitcases – a sure fire sign this brand was something special. Alongside seeding WhistlePig into the very top, luxury venues in the UK, creating loyalty with seasoned and influential whisky enthusiasts was our first challenge and still is to this day. Axiom has successfully nurtured a community of loyal WhistlePig fans who follow each release from the distillery and every single barrel launch. This could only be done through category knowledge, time invested in education and relationship-building, with an authentic passion for our product.
Winning with Integrity is how we brand-build. For us that means never discounting WhistlePig or buying business to drive volume. Instead we maintained confidence in its luxury price point and even introduced London’s most expensive Old Fashioned to cocktail menus across the city!
One of Axiom’s company values – Innovate to Elevate – we challenged our teams to create an entirely bespoke playbook for WhistlePig. That meant brand-elevating projects and collaborations with our on-trade and off-trade customers to nurture brand recognition, visibility and loyalty. This innovative approach extended to the expert allocation of WhistlePig limited releases, a strategy to build anticipation and demand with core whisky consumers.
By 2020, five years from launch, WhistlePig is served in the best bars, restaurants and hotels in the UK, with bartenders renowned for loving their Old Fashioneds choosing WhistlePig as their personal go-to. Some of the top UK buyers and influencers have been converted to lifelong fans and brand advocates since joining the Axiom team for a perfectly-planned trip to the WhistlePig Farm in Vermont. Axiom ensure they experience the very best of Vermont produce, get to know WhistlePig personally and connect with Vermont-farm life, something we know resonates with UK industry. And so the story continues...
