Wild Turkey’s New “Trust Your Spirit” Global Campaign Spotlights Bold Stories from Three Trailblazing Music Artists USA – English USA – English APAC – English

Starring Shakey Graves, Matt Corby, and Yoohei Kawakami, New Creative from the Iconic American Whiskey Brand begins rolling out globally this month

LAWRENCEBURG, Ky., May 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Wild Turkey, the iconic American bourbon brand, today unveiled the newest creative in its global campaign and platform, “Trust Your Spirit,” with cameos from world renowned musicians Shakey Graves, Matt Corby, and Yoohei Kawakami. The new films tell the story of each artist’s journey to find their voice, following their instincts to create art their own way. The creative uses music as a medium to illustrate what happens when you ‘Trust Your Spirit,’ just like Wild Turkey has done for decades.

In a series of digital vignettes, rolling out globally starting this month, the three trailblazing artists each tell their own career story illustrating how intuition led them to where they are today. There’s an extra spark that can be felt when music was created based on the creator’s gut feeling, not based on the whims of others. The same is true in bourbon. Wild Turkey, under the leadership of legendary father and son Master Distilling team Jimmy and Eddie Russell, has been faithful to its iconic recipe and craft for decades. The tagline “Trust Your Spirit,” is a bold and confident rallying cry that echoes the family ethos: the best results come when you do things your way, the right way.

Austin, Texas-native Alejandro Rose-Garcia, known as Shakey Graves, started his career as an actor but soon moved on to becoming a one-man band with the confidence to deliver his own story his own way. Australian artist Matt Corby had a career path laid out for him by others, but he took a detour, building his own recording studio on a ranch in the woods to truly find his own voice. And Yoohei Kawakami from the band Alexandros performed in parks around Tokyo for years to hone his sound, but it wasn’t until he gave up what he thought people wanted to hear that he found his confidence and is now part of a hit band.

“The message of ‘Trust Your Spirit’ resonates across geographies and cultures,” said Raul Gonzalez, Global Managing Director for Spirits at Campari Group. He adds, “The idea was inspired by the legacy of Wild Turkey and the people that have built it, but that passion and commitment exists in industries all over the world and we’re excited to celebrate it with this campaign. It’s been an honor to partner with these talented musicians who embody the spirit of Wild Turkey.”

To further illustrate the connection between Wild Turkey and music, a custom, hi-fi listening lounge was built as the backdrop. The bar is both a green room and a storytelling platform for each artist. Shakey Graves, Matt Corby, and Yoohei Kawakami can each be found at the bar sharing their tale, before they pass through to perform their own song in a curated “venue” representing their unique spirit – from the stage, to the woods, to the runway. After each electric performance – “Roll the Bones” by Shakey Graves, “Big Smoke” by Matt Corby, and “de Mexico” by Alexandros – the artists return to the listening lounge to toast to the journey with a Wild Turkey Bourbon.

Led by Creative Director Josh Combs, the “Trust Your Spirit” creative platform symbolizes the dedication of the Russell family and legacy of Wild Turkey bourbon. Beyond the films, the ‘Trust Your Spirit’ campaign will come to life through omni-channel programs in key markets around the world. Whiskey fans of legal drinking age will have the opportunity to experience the music of these and other emerging musical artists at one-of-a-kind concerts, festival experiences, and intimate listening events, such as:

• United States: In partnership with iHeartMedia, Wild Turkey will offer whiskey lovers and music fans an opportunity to visit the bespoke Wild Turkey Lounge at select music festivals across the country and attend 101 Bold Nights concerts headlined by top musical acts such as Shakey Graves and The Black Keys. The brand will also continue working to advance emerging artists through its #101BoldNightsMusicMentorship and give back to those who strive to shape culture in their community through charitable donations to both Spaceflight Records and the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund.
• Australia: In partnership with BRING, Universal Music For Brands, and Eleven PR, Wild Turkey is partnering with multi-ARIA winning artist Matt Corby to launch its new platform Music 101 – a purpose-led music and experiential campaign featuring a mentorship program for aspiring Australian artists and a series of live off-grid gigs. The mentorship winners will hit the road alongside other iconic Aussie artists to play live from a custom-built 101 Music Mobile Music Home, featuring a custom bourbon bar, recording studio and stage. Fans will be able to hear intimate sessions from some of Australia’s most exciting musical talent wherever the Mobile Music Home turns up – with music moments big and small planned throughout the year. The program also supports 50 local artists across Australia, providing opportunities for fans to experience great music, great talent & Wild Turkey Bourbon.

For more information, visit wildturkeybourbon.com or follow Wild Turkey at @wildturkey.

Campaign Credits
Campari Group
Global Managing Director: Raul Gonzalez
Global VP: Mattia Carlozzo
Global Whiskey Director: Joseph Baide
Global Senior Brand Manager: RJ Whittington
Executive Creative Director: Josh Combs

Production
Production Company: Landia
Director: Marco Gentile
DoP: Patrick Golan
Executive Producer: Viridiana Guadarrama
Executive Producer: Cynthia Reyna
1st AD: Manuel Magallanes
Line Producer: David Izguerra
Production Designer: Luciano Lasca
Production Advisor and Coordination: The Production Advisory Group
Postproduction Coordinator: Kevin Rosales
Editorial Company: Rock Paper Scissors
Editor: Derrick Monks (RPS)
Colorist: Joseph Bicknell @ Company 3

Music: Shakey Graves “Roll the Bones”
Music: Alexandros: “de Mexico“
Music: Matt Corby “Big Smoke”

ABOUT WILD TURKEY
The distillery for Wild Turkey Bourbon is in Kentucky, situated on a deep limestone shelf on the Kentucky River. The shelf acts as a natural filter and provides the distillery with crystal clear water, vital to making such a high-quality product. Wild Turkey features the legendary father and son Master Distilling team of Jimmy and Eddie Russell, who have over 100 years of collective experience working at the Wild Turkey distillery.

Wild Turkey is distilled and put into new oak barrels at a much lower ABV than most bourbons. This results in a much richer flavor, as less is cooked out during the production process. Ageing in the highest quality new American oak barrels with the heaviest char available (the Number 4 “alligator” char), imparts a smooth flavor and deep amber color to the whiskey. The barrels are filled at the distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. Website: wildturkey.com.

ABOUT CAMPARI GROUP
Campari Group is a major player in the global spirits industry, with a portfolio of over 50 premium and super premium brands, spreading across Global, Regional and Local priorities. The Group was founded in 1860 and today is the sixth-largest player worldwide in the premium spirits industry. Campari Group has a global distribution reach, trading in over 190 nations around the world with leading positions in Europe and the Americas. Campari Group is headquartered in Sesto San Giovanni, Italy, and owns 22 plants worldwide with its own distribution network in 23 countries. The shares of the parent company, Davide Campari-Milano N.V. (Reuters CPRI.MI – Bloomberg CPR IM), have been listed on the Italian Stock Exchange since 2001.

SOURCE Wild Turkey