Flooding devastated Queensland in December 2010. It was the worst natural disaster ever to hit the state – affecting an area roughly the size of France. 99% of the state was affected in some form . Statements taken from various Queensland business owners in January 2011 reflect the severe impact upon their customers, suppliers and solvency : “It’s affected our income due to suppliers being closed & roads blocked, and customers watching their pennies in case they lose jobs or have to pay for new items.”“It is like the economy has stopped. Very little going on.”Bundaberg Rum, known as Bundy in Australia, was deeply shaken. Its distillery was flooded for several days. Its employees lost homes and property. 80% of its volume resided in Queensland . The brand has been synonymous with Queensland for the last 110 years.Hence, the fate of Queensland is the fate of Bundy. The brand simply could not afford to stand by and watch.

In this grave situation, Bundy was faced with a problem for which there was no playbook.

How should the brand respond?

The Problem – Bundy needed ways to help the state get back on its feet while the brand was reeling equally from the floods.The Creative Solution – Launch an idea that uplifts the spirits of Queenslanders and rallies all Australians around the Queensland recovery effort.The idea was called Watermark. It became a cultural symbol of resilience and recovery. As a product, its proceeds became a significant revenue stream for charity. As a brand idea, it became a powerful platform to raise the spirits of Queenslanders through communications and a series of benefit concerts. Watermark helped Queensland and Bundy get back on their feet. Bundy was able to contribute over $935,000 from Watermark profits into the reconstruction of Queensland. Watermark’s uplifting message generated over 7.1MM impressions in Queensland media through PR related articles, interviews and stories in a state where the total population is 4.5MM. As a final testament to Watermark’s impact, Bundy improved across key measures for trial, conversion and consumption in Queensland for 2011 while the same measures declined for key competitors (Jack Daniels, Jim Beam) during the same period. 1. Chamber of Commerce & Industry Queensland, Feb 2011 – Impact of Floods On Queensland Businesses 2. Chamber of Commerce & Industry Queensland, Feb 2011 – Impact of Floods On Queensland Businesses 3. Diageo, 2011