Wild Turkey, Complex partner on social video series starring McConaughey

Brief:

• Campari’s Wild Turkey bourbon is collaborating with digital media company Complex Networks on two new social video series starring Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey. Both series focus on trailblazers whose personal convictions help to shape cultural movements, per an announcement.
• “Talk Turkey” features McConaughey, who is Wild Turkey’s creative director and brand storyteller, sharing a glass of bourbon in conversation with a variety of guests. The talk show, which debuted on Oct. 11, streams on Complex’s Instagram TV (IGTV), Twitter and Facebook pages, with episodes also available on Wild Turkey’s YouTube and social channels. 
• McConaughey additionally narrates “The Spirit of Conviction,” a longer-form documentary series about each of the guests who appear on “Talk Turkey.” The show is available on Complex’s YouTube channel. The first episode focuses on Trap Kitchen founders Spank and News, rival gang members whose culinary passions compelled them to partner on a food-truck business in Compton, CA, that serves high-quality meals and aims to inspire the community. McConaughey also talks to surfer Maya Gabeira and explorer Dan Buettner.

Insight:

Wild Turkey is leaning into branded social video content and McConaughey’s star power to establish a stronger positioning related to the concept of personal conviction and cultural taste makers. In developing two series with Complex, whose track record for mobile-friendly programming includes hits like “Hot Ones” and “Sneaker Shopping,” the bourbon maker seeks to cut through ad clutter and engage people spending more of their time streaming on platforms like IGTV and YouTube.

Embedding brands in culture has become a popular strategy as an aversion to traditional advertising grows. Tying up with publishers on sponsored content that looks and feels like native editorial is one of the ways marketers can come across as more authentic and engaging.

On that front, purposeful docuseries have become a bigger trend for brands. Procter & Gamble has frequently worked with National Geographic on docuseries that spotlight cause-related issues like gender and wealth inequality.

Wild Turkey could be angling for a younger crowd of consumers in partnering with Complex, which is focused on youth culture and topics like streetwear, and centering distribution on social media channels.    

Other liquor brands have developed a variety of strategies to reach tech-savvy young adults, including mobile, social media and experiential marketing campaigns. Kahlúa, Skyy Vodka, Malibu, Shackleton Whiskey, Jägermeister and Remy Cointreau are just some of the labels that have recently developed mobile campaigns aimed at prolonging exposure with on-the-go consumers.

With many young adults shunning TV and print, brands like Wild Turkey need to develop streaming video and social media strategies to reach those viewers. Gen Z, the demographic group born from 1995 to 2015, is a particularly heavy consumer of mobile video throughout the day.

About four out of five (81%) surveyed Gen Zers said putting on a mobile video while doing other things keeps them entertained, according to a study from entertainment company Whistle. More than half (56%) of the U.S. adult population watches streamed video, up from 48% last year and 40% in 2017, per researcher Nielsen.