Wild Turkey Announces Inspired “Trust Your Spirit” Global Campaign Starring Creative Director Matthew McConaughey

LAWRENCEBURG, KY , Aug. 5, 2021- Wild Turkey announces the launch of its new, global creative campaign and platform, "Trust Your Spirit," featuring the brand’s Creative Director Matthew McConaughey. Encouraging others to be bold, unapologetically themselves, and stay true to who they are, the campaign features a series of digital vignettes that serve as a tribute to the legendary Master Distillers at the helm of Wild Turkey – Jimmy and Eddie Russell.  It also arrives as the brand rolls out a sleek, newly-redesigned Wild Turkey 101 pack to better showcase the premium quality of the Bourbon inside.

"Trust Your Spirit" channels the spirit and birthplace of Wild Turkey in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky through archived footage and state-of-the-art projection mapping, evoking the brand’s past, present and future. In the hero (:30) ad, the shot opens on a rounded projection stage with McConaughey in front of an oversized screen surrounded by bourbon barrels. In all of the digital ads, the Wild Turkey Rickhouse is projected around him as he invites viewers to do things like "trust your gut, trust your eyes, trust your ears, trust your friends….and the stories they allow you to tell," and reminds us "You are exactly where you should be. Where you go from here, is completely up to you and your spirit. Trust it."

The campaign’s tagline is a call to action channeling the uncompromising spirit of Wild Turkey’s Jimmy Russell, the longest-tenured, active Master Distiller in the global spirits industry and father to Eddie, a second generation Master Distiller and legend in his own right. "In all its forms, and just like Wild Turkey, Trust Your Spirit is bold, inspired, and unapologetically confident," notes McConaughey. "This spirit of trust, and trusting your own, dates back for generations of the Russell family who toast those who share and forge ahead with their values. It’s about celebrating both the primary and divine voice we all have inside. It’s life – undiluted."

The Russells have been faithful and allegiant to their recipe and production methods – despite trends and pressure to conform to changing tastes over the years. "Trust Your Spirit" echoes a bold and confident rally cry in step with the brand and family ethos to follow one’s instincts. The track "Black Moon Rising" by up-and-coming Austin musicians The Black Pumas & the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble plays in the background, providing an Americana soundtrack that evokes Southern Kentucky vibes across McConaughey’s modern-day-cowboy Texas persona.

Another (:15) spot, "The Stars," finds McConaughey on the picturesque grounds of the Wild Turkey distillery, gazing upon the sky and reflecting on one’s relationship with a celestial universe. It concludes with an observation from McConaughey drawing parallels across humans and stars – each has their own unique sparkle and spirit. The creative director remarks that the world can be a beautiful place "if we all trust our spirit," as he watches the sun break the horizon.

"Trust Your Spirit delivers a sequence of short films in various formats that will air in markets across the globe," remarks Julka Villa, Campari Group’s Managing Director of Global Strategic Marketing, Spirits. "We’re very proud of it. Along with our visionary creative team, we explored territories to passionately convey the brand’s championing character, the liquid spirit itself, and the human spirit. Viewers will also get a peek at our new, reimagined Wild Turkey 101 bottle in these spots. The campaign illustrates the brand’s bold personality and point of view, while continuing to pay homage to its rich history and craft."

Developed by Creative Director Josh Combs and Wild Turkey’s "Chief Storyteller" Matthew McConaughey, the "Trust Your Spirit" platform embodies the passion that goes into the Russell family business and marks a turning point for Wild Turkey.  Launching today, the campaign will run on digital and social media channels in the United States, Australia and in select global markets.

Campaign Credits

Creative and production:

• Executive Creative Director: Josh Combs

Creatives: August Östberg, David Svedenström, Graham Davis

• Executive Producer: Karen McKibben 
• Senior Producer: Thomas Martin
• Production Company: Furlined
• Director: Ben Tricklebank
• Director of Photography: Max Goldman
• Post-Production: Therapy Studios
• Editor: Doobie White
• Executive Producer: Margaret Ward
• Photographer: Fernando Decillis
• Music: Black Pumas "Black Moon Rising"

Wild Turkey:

• Global Managing Director: Julka Villa
• Global Senior Director: Mattia Carlozzo
• Global Whiskey Director: Joseph Baide
• Global Senior Brand Manager: Stacey Beerman
• Global Senior PR Manager: Erin Smolinski

About Wild Turkey
The distillery for Wild Turkey Bourbon is located 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. The famous Wild Turkey brand name first came about back in 1940 when distillery executive Thomas McCarthy took a few warehouse samples on a wild turkey hunting trip with a group of friends. The following year, his friends asked him for "some of that wild turkey whiskey" and the brand was born. Wild Turkey is distilled and put into new oak barrels at a much lower ABV than most bourbons. This results in a much richer flavour, 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 flavour and deep amber colour 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.

Global Priorities, the Group’s key focus, include Aperol, Appleton Estate, Campari, SKYY, Wild Turkey and Grand Marnier. The Group was founded in 1860 and today is the sixth-largest player worldwide in the premium spirits industry. It has a global distribution reach, trading in over 190 nations around the world with leading positions in Europe and the Americas.  The Group’s growth strategy aims to combine organic growth through strong brand building and external growth via selective acquisitions of brands and businesses. Headquartered in Sesto San Giovanni, Italy, Campari Group owns 22 plants worldwide and has its own distribution network in 22 countries. The Group employs approximately 4,000 people. 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.