Jim Beam Selects Leo Burnett as Global Agency of Record

It’s a big win for Burnett as the revered agency is back with Beam. Beam Suntory has named Leo Burnett its global creative agency of record for top-selling bourbon brand Jim Beam. The agency will develop a new creative platform for the iconic bourbon.

“As our flagship Jim Beam looks to the next 225 years of its history, we needed an agency partner that could truly dig into the brand’s DNA and connect with both loyal and curious consumers through rich, immersive storytelling,” said Jessica Spence, Beam Suntory president of brands in a statement. “We believe that Jim Beam has the right to lead in American Whisky globally, and we can’t wait to partner with Leo on creative that will support the continued growth of this incredible brand.”

This is the second time Leo Burnett has been named AOR for Jim Beam. The Publicis agency previously received the designation in 2016, before the brand started working with DDB in 2018, according to AgencySpy.

“Crafting the next chapter of an iconic brand like Jim Beam is a responsibility we don’t take lightly,” said Britt Nolan, Leo Burnett Chicago’s president and chief creative officer in a statement. “We’ve been proud to deliver strong results for Beam Suntory’s small batch portfolio and couldn’t be more excited about this next stage of our partnership.”

Another Chicago Agency in the Mix for Beam Suntory

In addition to Leo Burnett, Beam Suntory has enlisted yet another Windy City agency. Earlier this year, Beam Suntory gave some of its business to independent Chicago creative agency Highdive, which was chosen as the creative agency of record for five of the company’s brands, including Sauza Agave Cocktails.

Sauza recently released their “Get Busy Living” collaboration with Highdive. Click here to enjoy the inventive campaign and SCREEN’s coverage of the creative effort.