Vandalized Bottles and FOMO: Here’s How Four Roses Is Targeting Younger Bourbon Drinkers

Four Roses’s new ad campaign in London is meant to spark curiosity among younger drinkers. (Photos: Four Roses Bourbon UK/Instagram)

On Monday, Convenience Store UK reported that Four Roses initiated a new ad campaign in London and Manchester geared toward younger drinkers. This campaign marks the 135-year-old bourbon brand’s first advertising campaign in the United Kingdom.

“Don’t Mention It” is a £400,000 ($508,528) campaign that consists of murals, digital outdoor and social content.

“We’ve managed to build a strong and knowledgable base of core drinkers of Four Roses,” said Jane Bulankina, head of marketing at Spirit Cartel according to Convenience Store UK. “Now the time’s right to speak to a wider, younger audience — drinkers that like to discover things for themselves and want to be the first amongst their peers to do so.”

The advertising company revealed a spray-painted wall in London’s trendy Shoreditch area. The mural was sprayed over with fake graffiti to hide Four Roses’ brand name. The mural read, “If you know you know.”

Trend Hunter reports that the aim of the campaign is to “[spark] curiosity and [celebrate] those who are already in the know, and [play] into peoples’ fear of missing out.”

Four Roses celebrated a major milestone this year — its 135th anniversary. The bourbon brand released a limited-edition, small-batch bourbon to celebrate, and we were huge fans. The whiskey included a component of 25-year-old bourbon, which is the oldest to ever be included in the history of the blend.

It appears drinkers in the United Kingdom are gravitating to America’s native spirit. VinePair reported in 2021 that 27.6 million bottles of American whiskey were exported to the United Kingdom and in 2028, sales are projected to have doubled.

Brands are noticing, and in September, Buffalo Trace opened a brick-and-mortar whiskey experience in London’s heavily touristed Covent Garden area. Four Roses’ choice to get in on the action appears to be a logical one, and as for the brand’s latest campaign, more content is expected to roll out in 2024.

“This eye-catching campaign… is part of our broader work to demonstrate bourbon’s classic, yet relevant appeal. The profile we’re giving it will encourage more drinkers into the category — and, with bourbon’s mixability and complexity, they’re likely to remain in it,” Bulankina concluded.

Join the Whiskey Raiders Bottle of the Month Club, where you will receive hard-to-find bottles curated by Whiskey Raiders staff with a 90+ rating on whiskeyraiders.com plus live virtual tastings. Sign up here!