Beam Suntory's whiskey brand Oaksmith takes live music concert route to engage with audiences

As music enthusiasts crave for live concerts, Beam Suntory’s whiskey brand Oaksmith Gold Glasses and Zoom TV have introduced #WeekendLive, the #StayHome concerts that take renowned music artists to the safety of the viewer’s home. So far, nine #WeekendLive concerts have garnered a viewership of over 20 million on Zoom TV and Facebook Live, featuring a diverse range of artists and genres sharing riveting performances.

Delhi-based Frog Ideas is the digital agency that designed the campaign look. The format of these #StayHome concerts consists of leading artists performing from their homes with a Livestream across Facebook for viewers to enjoy.

Talking about the initiative, Rishi Walli, Head of Marketing, Beam Suntory India, said, “#WeekendLive is an initiative that we started during the lockdown period to provide an opportunity for live artists to perform virtually, as well as providing much-needed weekend entertainment for everyone staying at home. It is indeed a difficult time for all of us but our aim is to add in some comfort and provide a familiar experience with every Sunday to all music lovers through a diverse set of talented artists performing live from their homes. We are extremely elated that the platform is getting such a warm response and the viewership is increasing tremendously week on week. We hope to continue supporting and entertaining people and artists during these testing times to come out strong on the other side.”

The platform has witnessed performances from artists across various music genres, ranging from pop-rock and indie blue to Sufi and Rajasthan folk. Artists such as Indian Ocean, Kutle Khan, Jasleen Aulakh, FaridKot, Deveshi Sahgal, Parikrama, Dhruv Sangari, Shruv Vishvanath and Vasu Dixit from Swarathma have already been a part of #WeekendLive concerts.

Jatin Modi, Founder and CEO, FrogIdeas, said, "It's important for a consumer brand to keep their fans engaged. Our aim was to collaborate with Oaksmith to produce premium, lifestyle content that broke away from virtue signalling. The idea was an industry first, giving audiences access to world-class artists and performances, combining that with the social distancing message. The result was the development of a richer social engagement format #WeekendLive. Through this campaign, Oaksmith has truly indulged their fans, and encouraged them to #StayHome."