DO NOT DRINK THE GREEN RIVER. DRINK GREEN RIVER.

The Chicago River is dyed green for Saint Patricks Day. This advertising campaign for Green River Bourbon reminds people not to drink the Green River and instead drink Green River. The bourbon, not the river.

Green River Bourbon Billboards were placed next to the Green Chicago River.

Sample bottles of Chicago River water and Green River bourbon were sent to influencers so they could sample Green River, the river and Green River, the bourbon.

Don’tDrinkTheGreenRiver.com housed all the content and confusion.

  • Every year, the city of Chicago dyes the Chicago River green. It’s tradition. St Patricks Day in Chicago is a city wide party and Green River Bourbon wanted to be the center of it. Josh Denberg is one of the top freelance copywriters in San Francisco, but he’s from Chicago. And he loves bourbon. So he joined the folks at Ugly Advertising on the project.

  • The idea to do a campaign about the Chicago River being dyed green came from the client. It’s a smart strategy and an ideal promotion for a brand called Green River.

    As a top freelance copywriter in San Francisco, Josh Denberg knows how to take a pointed strategy and turn it into something memorable.

    The Chicago River is not a clean body of water. So reminding intoxicated people not to drink is kind of like a public service. “Do not drink the Green River” became the anti tagline and the tone was set.

  • The clients at Green River were thrilled with the press, website traffic and sales. The agency built an amazing case study and the radio was a finalist at the Mercury Awards.

Thanks Ugly Advertising and Nick Cade for bringing me in on this. Great project. Delicious bourbon.

Radio was a finalist at the Mercury Awards.

Photo of bourbon on cover page by Михаил Шорохов: https://www.pexels.com/photo/ice-and-a-drink-in-a-glass-10747972/