39 years after Baileys was launched, performance had started to decline. Worse still, an array of flavour variants had begun to realise diminishing returns.

Step forward Baileys Chocolat Luxe. Unlike its predecessors, a world-first combination of real Belgian chocolate and Baileys Original Irish Cream. To launch it, we’d create a campaign centred on a dramatic change in emphasis.

Research told us that chocolate and spirits were two extremely emotive categories for women, with some even calling chocolate ‘primal’. So we asked ourselves how to communicate how powerful the alchemy between these two elements really is.

Rather than see it as Baileys with something added, we’d treat it as a phenomenon in chocolate.

In doing so, we’d orchestrate every touchpoint to an idea that listened to the liquid.

Real Belgian Chocolate awoken by the Spirit of Baileys (Baileys is the catalyst that takes the chocolate experience to the next level).

We set out to launch a campaign that would create a groundswell before Baileys Chocolat Luxe even hit the shelves.

We started with ‘Culinary Alchemy’, a press preview with a difference created by Unity PR, introducing the liquid through Anthony Wilson, principal scientist, in a world created by Bompass and Parr.

We followed with Bar Chocolat, immersing press and key consumer influencers in a series of installations into the sensory pleasure of chocolate.

We then used online video, created by R/GA, to tell the story of the ingredients, product and pour, generating over 2m views on YouTube.

Finally, we secured a global exclusive partnership with Harvey Nichols, launching the product in luxury retail.

Then came the launch itself, where broadcast advertising took over. Print ensured the product was first encountered in ‘chocolate clothes’, while TV brought to life the alchemy of these two elements in beautiful, involving fashion.

“We knew we had a great liquid. The question was whether, after a decade in the marketing wilderness, we could pull off a launch good enough to put us back on the map. We needed a bold marketing plan and stunning creative work across all channels if we were to pull it off. Without this we knew people just wouldn’t believe Baileys could create a product that would be of interest to them” -

Garbhan O'Bric

Baileys Global Brand Director

The launch has exceeded even Diageo’s wildest expectations.

- It generated 730 pieces of coverage, and 2.5bn exposures across Western Europe

- The Harvey Nichols launch was so successful they’d tripled their order by the end of the first week.

- The product had hit its full year sales target in three months.

- Baileys Chocolat Luxe is on course to be Diageo’s biggest ever year 1 launch in Western Europe.