India is a dark market for alcohol brands, with very tight regulations governing all communication released by alcohol companies. Master’s Imperial, a newbie whisky in the highly cluttered budget whisky category, wanted to launch in India. Without the luxury of above-the-line advertising, we decided to resort to interesting content to promote the brand. Thus, we got people talking about the whisky - without breaking any rules!

India is a dark market for alcohol brands, which means that we couldn't advertise on any traditional medium. We thus decided to create our very own medium - a small but powerful one. We called it, 'The Little Book of Third Drink Philosophy.' Presented by Master's Imperial Whisky, this book is a unique compilation of the humorous yet insightful witticisms that people spout after three drinks. Using this medium, we successfully positioned the whisky as "specially crafted for the third drink philosopher!" Placed tactfully at bars, bookstores, alcohol shops and newsstands, this book proved to be a powerful medium that got people inquiring about the newbie whisky in large numbers.

The book was very well received and over 2,000 cases of Master’s Imperial whisky were sold in a mere 15 days. This was a record of sorts for a newbie whisky that set out with modest expectations and a modest promotional budget. Each of the books was sold for Rs. 50 (less than 1 dollar) and created not just an additional revenue stream but also a unique advertisement for Master’s Imperial – one that people paid for and consumed with great joy! At the time of writing this, we’re already getting into a second reprint.