Whiskey brand Maker’s Mark has gone to great lengths to engage brand ambassadors lately through various social marketing and mailing efforts. The latest holiday-themed direct mail piece the ambassadors received: a package of joke gift boxes sized to fit a bottle of Maker’s Mark. But the outside of the boxes indicates that they are housing an entirely different and ridiculous gift.
You may have seen boxes similar to this at stores like Bed, Bath & Beyond – boxes that hold a shirt but look like they contain a shower-mounted colander for convenient bath time cooking a la Cosmo Kramer. The Maker’s Mark boxes up the silliness ante and will cause many a recipient to pause after tearing off the wrapping paper…wondering why someone would get them an awkward, random gift like “Me-Wow” cat weights, “Vintage Fruit Cake,” or a “Chest Waxing, Tanning and Styling Kit.”
Both the box shape and the weight of a bottle of Maker’s Mark could certainly fool an unwitting victim, for at least a few seconds. Banking on just that, the letter that accompanies the package suggests the prankster ambassador film the recipient opening their gift to capture their reaction and then post it to the brand’s Facebook page. Nice social media-ness…
Brand ambassador programs abound, but typically the rewards don’t inspire much beyond a tweet. Though I’m not a whiskey drinker (my husband was the ambassador who received this mailing) and alcohol isn’t my gift go-to, when I saw this I immediately started thinking about who I know that drinks whiskey so I could put these little babies to use. Mission accomplished, Maker’s Mark. Well done.
