On January 26, 2011, the Australian state of Queensland was nearly wiped out by massive floods. Bundaberg Rum is a much-loved Queensland brand that has been lifting the spirits of Queenslanders for over 100 years. When that spirit came under threat from the rising waters, Bundaberg felt a duty to raise it up once again.

Like the rest of the state, the Bundaberg distillery was underwater and in a state of crisis, but something had to be done. Our objective was to help rebuild Queensland, and help raise the Queensland spirit up once again. Our solution was to create a product that would become a symbol of Queensland resilience and defiance, and rally the support of the nation. The product is Watermark: a rum crafted to mark the point where the floodwaters peaked, and to mark the spirit in the towns on the road to recovery.

When Watermark went on sale, people queued up for over 96 hours to buy it (this is longer than people queue for iPads). The first run of Watermark sold out within a week and a second run went into production immediately. All proceeds of Watermark went towards rebuilding Queensland.

The product and events received a lot of attention in the press and in social media, and the entire nation rallied behind the cause, meaning Watermark and Bundaberg Rum played a huge role in lifting Queensland’s spirits and helping the State on the road to recovery.

Just two days after the distillery was drained, our first act was to put Watermark into production. We then went to 16 of the worst hit towns and placed permanent plaques at the watermarks on the walls of the pubs. We launched Watermark with 16 music festivals held in the 16 worst hit areas. As a symbol of unity and togetherness they all kicked off at midday on April 16. Some of Australia’s biggest bands played, and Watermark sold, with all proceeds going to the flood relief. From here, Watermark was advertised through print, outdoor and radio, and people all over the country spread the spirit via social networks. Watermark then went on sale online and in bottle stores around the country.