RAISED RIGHT
A brand built on values needed some serious rebuilding. And there’s no better time than the Super Bowl.
Jim Beam is America’s bourbon. But after years of using tired whiskey tropes and an irrelevant celebrity spokesperson, the 225-year old brand lost its way and place in culture. Tasked with reestablishing this iconic bourbon for the modern age, we looked to the past - to the values Jim Beam was founded on and the tenets the Beam family has lived by for centuries. They believe in respect, decency, and integrity, whether it comes to how you make a whiskey or how you treat a person. It’s how they were raised.
Prohibition was a troubling time for the Beam family. For generations, their livelihood and legacy were built on distilling bourbon. And one law brought that all down. We sought to tell the true story of James Beam and his post-prohibition journey to build it all back up again...in 120 days. Directed by John Hillcoat and shot by Oscar-winning cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, the Super Bowl film was a tale of determination, hard work, and a whole lot of selfless help from good people.
In 2020, Jim Beam celebrated its 225th anniversary. Instead of dwelling on more than two centuries of history (like most heritage brands would do), we chose to look in a different direction: forward. Directed by Michael Spiccia, we told the story of Beam’s future filled with innovation, new products, and a continued refusal to settle. Complacency is not something that runs in the family.
