DISTILLER'S NOTES:
1926 was a very different time for hockey fans. Back then, the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings were known as the Detroit Cougars. During this inaugural year, the team played their home games across the bridge at Border Cities Arena… in Windsor, Ontario.
By 1980, distilling and bottling of JP Wiser’s whisky was moved to Windsor, Ontario, where it continues to be produced today.
And so began the neighbourly bond between the two beloved brands.
Fast forward to 2023. When it came time for Corby Spirit and Wine to announce JP Wiser’s Deluxe as the official Canadian Whisky of the Detroit Red Wings, there was only one team they called. Trusting the expertise of Davis to design a limited edition on-pack takeover, the winning concept was a hat trick of visual, historical, and strategical storytelling.
The brief shared at the onset of the project was rich in inspiration for Creative Director, Mark Roberts. “The link between JP Wiser’s home in Windsor and the Detroit Red Wings is a match made in heaven, or in this case, Hockeytown, USA. Commemorating this milestone moment between these iconic, adored brands was an incredibly powerful opportunity to build valuable awareness of JP Wiser’s in a new market.”
The bottled product is the nucleus of several co-branded activations – engaging and exciting Red Wings fans at every experience, from Little Caesar’s Arena to game broadcasts, promotions, and social posts for both JP Wiser’s and the Red Wings. The label is intentional in its effort to attract the Red Wheel Nation without straying from the design architecture of JP Wiser’s packaging.
Achieving near collectors’ status and available exclusively in Michigan, the bottle has been garnering serious buzz since launching in November 2023. Flooded in Red Wings red, the iconic winged wheel logo, Border Cities storytelling, and even a back panel salute to The Legend of The Octopus, each element signals this momentous multi-year partnership.
