Pioneer Project

The Bulleit Pioneer Project came alive during a three-month window coinciding with GRAMMYs 2023, music’s biggest night of the year. The campaign was split into six parts - each enabling the brand to revisit press with a new chapter of the story and new content, all tied within a cohesive narrative about the brand’s commitment to pushing culture forward.

We enlisted the help of J.Ivy, one of UnitedMasters shining stars, to be the face of the campaign. J.Ivy had fought tirelessly to get spoken word as a category on the GRAMMYs and was a true embodiment of the frontier spirit.

Each of the projects introduced different pioneers, spanning food, drink, sustainability and music - all which we knew would garner press. Creative tactics were used to disseminate the mentorship, including events, social contests and the bold new promises from the brand.

The six moments of the campaign started with an initial press announcement to set our intentions. This was quickly followed by The Remix Challenge - a social search seeking talented lyricists to receive 1:1 mentorship with J. Ivy.

Then J.Ivy put his own pen to paper and produced “A Toast To The Times” a short film that captured the essence of the project. This was supported by the 100-Hour Commitment - a promise to facilitate 100 hours of mentorship between emerging pioneers and established talent via UnitedMasters.

The film was unveiled at an eco-conscious film premiere in which every part of the event was considered to minimize its impact on the Earth, including upcycled furniture, a “root to stem” menu, and local recycling and composting partnerships.

Then came the Celebration of Independence, UnitedMasters biggest party of the year attended by 4,300 people. Finally, J. Ivy picked up the GRAMMY for the “Best Spoken Word Album”.