O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey
From Startup to Ireland’s Fastest-Growing Whiskey Exporter in Just 18 Months.
Discover how UBC propelled O’Driscoll’s into an award-winning challenger brand—taking on Jameson, Teeling, and Proper 12—and exporting 100,000+ cases worldwide in just 18 months, proving that ambition, strategy, and relentless execution pay off.
Client: O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey | Industry: Alcohol - Spirits
Inspired by History, Crafted by Experts
Crafted by the direct descendants of the ancient O’Driscoll Clan.
A tribute to their famous Pirate & Smuggler ancestors from Baltimore, West Cork
who patrolled Irelands Wild Atlantic Coast.
Client Requirements
The Opportunity
O’Driscoll’s began with little more than a single bottle, a distinctive label, and an ambitious vision—to disrupt the fiercely competitive Irish whiskey landscape and challenge industry giants like Jameson, Teeling, and Proper 12. Without an internal branding or marketing infrastructure, they fully entrusted Urban Brand Creative with realizing their global ambitions, relying entirely on our strategic expertise to navigate the complexities of international markets.
From day one, the opportunity presented a unique set of challenges: developing a premium, globally resonant brand identity; managing strict compliance demands for alcohol distribution, including region-specific ABV levels, bottle volumes, and packaging standards; adhering to stringent alcohol social responsibility guidelines; and executing tailored, compliant, and targeted digital strategies to efficiently penetrate diverse market channels across Africa, North America, and Europe.
It was a complex, multidimensional puzzle demanding strategic clarity, regulatory precision, and innovative thinking—exactly the scenario Urban Brand Creative was built to handle.
Our Strategic Solution
Urban Brand Creative took on the full breadth of O’Driscoll’s ambitious global vision, meticulously orchestrating branding, marketing, and digital initiatives from the ground up.
Understanding the complexities of competing against whiskey giants like Jameson, Teeling, and Proper 12, we crafted a premium brand identity, tailored region-specific products, and led targeted market entry campaigns.
By designing a robust global eCommerce platform and strategic campaigns that resonated deeply in Kenya, Uganda, North America, and Europe, we rapidly established market credibility and consumer loyalty.
Our comprehensive approach—spanning strategic digital growth, immersive storytelling through best-in-class visual production, influential partnerships, and dynamic exhibition activations—enabled O’Driscoll’s swift transition from startup to a formidable challenger brand, gaining international traction and surpassing key competitors across all digital platforms within just 18 months.
Proven Results
➜ Rapid Global Expansion: Became Ireland’s fastest-growing Irish whiskey exporter, shipping 100,000+ cases worldwide in just 18 months.
➜ Substantial Investment: Secured €1.25 million in funding, significantly boosting market presence setting the start-up's value at €5 million.
➜ Robust eCommerce Growth: Delivered a high-performing multinational eCommerce platform, generating strong international sales.
➜ Dominant Social Media Performance: Achieved 8x more social media engagement than key competitors, including Jameson, Teeling, and Proper 12; 5k organic follower growth within 6 months, and over 2m targeted impressions.
➜ World-Class Visual Assets: Created a diverse, high-impact library from 6 professional photo shoots (covering product, lifestyle, and people) and 2 immersive video productions.
➜ Strategic Global Partner Network: Developed a comprehensive global commercial partner portal with bespoke, downloadable resources—enabling consistency and effectiveness in sales and branding across multiple markets.
➜ Influential Market Presence: Delivered polished corporate venue hire sales decks, compelling investor materials, and strategic event sponsorship assets, boosting brand credibility and visibility.
➜ Redefined Challenger Brand: Successfully positioned O’Driscoll’s as a premium challenger, securing distribution in major retail outlets (Tesco, SuperValu, Dunnes) and elevating brand equity across Ireland, Africa, Europe, and North America.
CEO Insight:
The Impact of Our Work
“You’ve played a key role—the quality of your work is on par with our brand identities. Thanks for your amazing work on the project this year, it’s been exactly what I needed. Great job!”
— Michael Stafford | CEO
O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey & Stafford Bonded
Dynamic Brand Storytelling: Videos & Reels
We crafted compelling visual narratives that captured O’Driscoll’s authentic spirit and premium positioning, ranging from immersive behind-the-scenes "Project Distillation" videos to vibrant cocktail tutorials and engaging promotional reels. These strategic video assets drove millions of views across global trade shows, investor presentations, social media platforms (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube), and O’Driscolls commercial partner portals, significantly amplifying brand awareness, engagement, and market credibility.
Brand Activation & Visual Merchandising
We transformed O’Driscoll’s brand vision into tangible, high-impact assets that captivated consumers worldwide. With over 150+ original designs from luxury packaging and eye-catching vehicle wraps to immersive in-store displays, tasting notes, dynamic POS materials, and strategic promotional collateral, every asset was expertly crafted to enhance brand presence, drive customer engagement, and reinforce O’Driscoll’s premium positioning at every touchpoint.
Whiskey Live Exhibition Design
Dynamic Global eCommerce & Sales Portal
We designed and delivered a powerful, multilingual, and multi-currency eCommerce platform that positioned O'Driscoll’s for rapid international expansion. Expertly integrated for seamless drop-shipping across North America, Europe, and Africa, this website sets the standard in user experience and intuitive UI design—optimized for search visibility and conversions. Featuring an industry-leading gated commercial partner portal complete with comprehensive marketing toolkits, sales enablement assets, downloadable brand guidelines, and interactive press kits, it empowers global teams and accelerates market entry, sales growth, and brand consistency across every touchpoint.
Great People Make Great Whiskey
Strategic Social Campaigns & Brand Expansion
Urban Brand Creative spearheaded O'Driscoll's digital dominance, strategically positioning it as Ireland’s fastest-growing whiskey brand. Leveraging powerful social media content, precision-targeted advertising, influencer partnerships, and tailored community engagement, we significantly outperformed key competitors like Jameson, Proper 12, and Teeling. Over 18 months, our multi-channel campaigns delivered triple the competitor impressions, rapidly expanded market reach among millennials, Gen Z, and non-traditional whiskey audiences, and culminated in a comprehensive Social Media Playbook for sustained global growth.
Product Photography
Cocktail Photography
Warehouse Photography
Michael Stafford’s Verdict on UBC
“Keith, I really appreciate the honest quality of work you’ve done in respect of telling our story through O’Driscolls.
You really got my inspiration...”
— Michael Stafford | CEO
O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey & Stafford Bonded
Ready to Build a Whiskey Brand That Stands Out?
Let's Talk Serious Growth."
Our Work Featured In
Your Growth. Our Solutions
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![Full Digital Growth Solutions]()
Full Digital Growth Solutions
From Brand Activation to Investment Readiness—We Do It All.
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![Strategy & Business Consulting]()
Strategy & Business Consulting
Data-driven strategies to scale, optimize, and dominate your market.
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![Branding, Rebranding & Activation]()
Branding, Rebranding & Activation
Craft a high-impact brand that attracts, engages, and converts.
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![Social Media Campaigns]()
Social Media Campaigns
Targeted content and ads that engage, grow, and convert.
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![Website & eCommerce]()
Website & eCommerce
UX-focused websites and eCommerce built to convert and scale.
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![Marketing & Growth]()
Marketing & Growth
SEO, ads, and campaigns that drive traffic, leads, and sales.
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![Content & Visual Production]()
Content & Visual Production
Photography, video, and design that sell your brand story.
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![Public Relations & Thought Leadership]()
Public Relations & Thought Leadership
Media, PR, and influencer strategies that build brand authority.
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![Valuation & Investor Growth]()
Valuation & Investor Growth
Position your business for funding, scaling, and exit success.
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![Franchise & Business Expansion]()
Franchise & Business Expansion
Franchise models and rollout strategies for scalable growth.
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![Performance Marketing & Lead Gen]()
Performance Marketing & Lead Gen
Dominate your market with high-converting ad campaigns, and strategic funnels,
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![Sales & Marketing Assets]()
Sales & Marketing Assets
Pitch decks and sales materials designed to close more deals.
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![Branding & Design]()
Branding & Design
Visual identities that attract, engage, and convert.
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![Creative Services]()
Creative Services
High-impact design, content, and campaigns that sell.
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![Training & Ongoing Support]()
Training & Ongoing Support
Workshops and mentoring to upskill teams fast.
Our Work in Action
We Don’t Just Talk About Growth - We Make It Happen.
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