MAKER'S MARK | PREMIUM RETAIL DISPLAYS

Taking Handcrafted to New Heights

Maker’s Mark Private Selection is unlike any other single-barrel bourbon program. Rather than simply personalizing labels, it invites their retail partners into the flavor journey itself. Each bespoke barrel is crafted to their taste, finished with 10 custom wood staves, and aged in Maker’s Mark’s limestone cellar for a one-of-a-kind release – allowing them to offer a truly tailored to their customers. 

Our challenge was to bring this innovative process to life in retail, through storytelling displays that are as premium, adaptable, and distinctive as the bourbon itself.

The Challenge

Private Selection lacked clear, consistent visibility in-store. Retailers often improvised with bulky barrel displays or generic POS, making it hard for shoppers to understand what set Private Selection apart. The uniqueness, exclusivity, and craftsmanship of the range weren’t pulling through at shelf level.

We needed to:
Clarify the story of the stave finishing process through the consumer lens
Elevate the exclusivity of each limited-edition barrel
Create scalable display solutions for both small and large retail footprints
Ensure a premium look and feel consistent with the Maker’s Mark’s brand world

The OBSERVATIONS

Speaking with brand ambassadors and undertaking further research revealed three key truths:
Bulky barrels were impractical and wasted valuable floor space.
Current storytelling tools were confusing and required hand-sell support.
Private Selection wasn’t clearly differentiated from Maker’s Mark Original.

The SOLUTION

To address these challenges, we set out to create a more streamlined, engaging, and premium retail experience. Our approach was to establish clear at-shelf messaging that educated consumers while elevating the stave customization process as the central hero of the story. We developed premium POS assets - such as stave glorifiers, modular shelving units, and personalized plaques, ensuring these elements could flex seamlessly across different retail footprints.

Drawing inspiration from the craftsmanship behind Private Selection, we incorporated tactile finishes like limestone, pewter, warm wood, and brushed gold to build a sensory connection to the bourbon-making process and crucially added those touches of luxury.

Our final creative route brought the story to life:
“Made by Your Local Experts” — Humanizing the program by spotlighting local experts and their unique recipes, underpinned by stave education.

The WONDER

We were able to reframe Private Selection as a premium, collectible experience in-store.

Retailers gained adaptable, space-efficient display options that simplified storytelling while highlighting exclusivity. Shoppers could finally see - and better understand - the innovation behind Private Selection, increasing engagement and driving sales velocity.

By grounding the retail experience in craft, choice, and rarity, Maker’s Mark Private Selection now stands apart at shelf: a true invitation to “take handcrafted to new heights.”