MKTG/335

IBS Center for Management Research

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Maker’s Mark and the Ethics of Advertising
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This case was written by Koti Vinodbabu, under the direction of Debapratim Purkayastha, IBS
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Hyderabad. It was compiled from published sources, and is intended to be used as a basis for
class discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a management
situation.
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 2015, IBS Center for Management Research. All rights reserved.

To order copies, call +91 9640901313 or write to IBS Center for Management Research (ICMR), IFHE Campus, Donthanapally,
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 MKTG/335

Maker’s Mark and the Ethics of Advertising

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Maker’s Mark, a bourbon a whisky distilled in Loretto, Kentucky, by Beam Suntoryb, published a
full-page ad in the 2002 Sports Illustratedc swimsuit issue showing a large photo of a bottle of
Maker’s Mark bourbon against a black background. 1 In large silver lettering, the ad read, “Your

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bourbon has a great body and a fine character. I wish the same could be said for my
girlfriend.”(Refer to Exhibit I Image from the Ad).The ad comparing a woman with a bottle of
whisky, fuelled a raging debate. Many people expressed disgust over the theme of Maker’s Mark,
saying it reflected the company’s opinion of women.
Maker’s Mark thought that the block lettering on the bottle set against a black background and the

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image of the reflection of bottle in the shape of a female hour glass figure would appeal to men, its
target segment. Some industry observers mocked the ad saying that the ad would perhaps appeal to
men who were not happy in their present relationship and who therefore drank this beverage as an

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escape from an out-of-shape girlfriend with no personality. Some industry observers opined that
this ad campaign by Maker’s Mark raised a need for reinforcing the ethical code of conduct among
advertisers. Analysts contended that alcohol advertising needed to change the concept of treating
women as objects.
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Maker’s Mark’s strategic moves like decreasing the alcoholic content in its whisky to meet
demand in 2013, and labelling the whisky as “handmade” also landed it in trouble in 2014. In
addition, Maker’s Mark was involved in lawsuits filed by clients who alleged that they had
incurred loss of both money and reputation by associating with it.
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BACKGROUND NOTE

Beam Suntory, Inc., founded in 1890, was an American manufacturer of spirits headquartered in
Deerfield, Illinois. A subsidiary of Suntory Holdings of Osaka, Japan, its principal products
included bourbon whisky, tequila, Scotch whisky, Irish whisky, Canadian whisky, vodka, cognac,
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rum, cordials, and ready-to-drink pre-mixed cocktails. It was the world’s third largest premium
spirits company manufacturing brands like Maker’s Mark and Knob Creek bourbons, Hakushu and
Hibiki Japanese whiskies, Teacher’s, Laphroaig, and Bowmore Scotch whiskies, Canadian Club
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whisky, Courvoisier cognac, Sauza tequila, Pinnacle vodka, and Midori liqueur. The company
generated a net income of 38.4 billion yen by the end of 2014. 2 (Refer to Exhibit II Key financials
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of Suntory).
The origin of Maker’s Mark can be traced back to the early 1780s, when Robert Samuels started
distilling whisky for his personal use and for close friends.3 In 1840, following in his footsteps, his
grandson, T.W. Samuels, opened Samuels’s first commercial distillery in Nelson County. Between
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1951 and 1954, the brand got its name, signature taste, and seal when Bill Samuels Sr. (Samuels
Sr.), from the sixth generation of the Samuels family, burnt the only copy of the 170-year-old
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family recipe and tried to create a new formula for producing a smoother whisky. The fresh recipe
had pure limestone spring water with wheat, which gave the bourbon a smoother taste. Samuels Sr.
experimented with several combinations of barley, corn, and wheat; it took almost six years for
a
Bourbon is a barrel-aged distilled spirit made primarily from corn.
b
Beam Suntory is an American manufacturer of spirits headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois.
c
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media franchise owned by Time Inc.

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 Maker’s Mark and the Ethics of Advertising

him to come up with something that met his own expectations. In the final recipe, rye was
substituted for winter wheat. Samuels’s wife, Margie, gave the bourbon its name, Maker’s Mark.
She also designed the bottle, its label, and the very famous dripping red wax seal. Margie also
designed a mark of ‘S IV’ with a star on the bourbon bottles. The ‘S’ in the mark represented
Samuels, while the IV stood for the fourth-generation distiller; the ‘star’ signified the distillery’s
home – Star Hill Farm.4 In February 1954, the first batch of Maker’s Mark was produced. 5 By fall
of 1958, after six summers of aging, Maker’s Mark entered the market with a price tag of US$6.79
per bottle. 6 In 1964, under an act of Congress, bourbon was declared as ‘America’s Native Spirit’

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as well as the country’s official distilled spirit.7
It was only in 1967 that the company earned its first profit.8 In 1968, Samuels Sr.’s daughter was
hired to develop the first visitor’s program at the distillery. In 1975, Bill Samuels Sr. passed on the
reins of the company to his son Bill Samuels Jr, (Samuels) who became the President of Maker’s

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Mark. In 1980, the Wall Street Journal published an article ‘Maker’s Mark Goes against the Grain to
Make Its Mark’ on its front page, which sparked a buzz around the whisky and the distillery.9 The
brand gained popularity through the article and the demand for the bourbon increased. In order to
satisfy the increasing demand, Maker’s Mark found that it required a much larger production set up.
In 1981, the distillery was sold to Hiram Walker & Sons. In 1985, Maker’s Mark created history

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when the US Department of Interior named Maker’s Mark a National Historic Landmark. 10 The
brand thus became America’s first alcoholic beverage facility to be honored with this title.

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However, in 1987, Maker’s Mark was sold to Allied Domecq, an international company which
operated in the spirits, wine, and quick service restaurant businesses. Further, in 2005, the brand
was sold to Fortune Brands and thereafter, Maker’s Mark became a part of Beam Global Spirits &
Wine (Beam). In the meantime, Samuels’s son, Rob Samuels (Rob), was gaining experience in the
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liquor industry by working with the sales and distribution departments of other liquor companies.
Following the family tradition, in 2006, Rob joined Maker’s Mark as global brand manager.
However, while approaching retirement age, Samuels was still searching for something new and
said, “We wanted the Maker’s taste profile on steroids.” He wanted to have more of the natural
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flavors of the white oak barrel. 11 Thus, he started working secretly with master distiller Kevin
Smith and cooperd Brad Boswell. Samuels Jr.’s passion resulted in the invention of Maker’s 46 in
2010, which was developed by inserting seared French oak staves into the barrel of Maker’s Mark
just two or three months before maturity. The staves helped to create bolder and more complex
flavors, while eliminating the bitterness.12 Maker’s 46 was the only creation of the company after
Maker’s Mark. Samuels said, “This is our first creation in 52 years, and it really is a creation. It’s
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not like its Maker’s with a couple of more years age on it.”13
In 2010, ending a seven-year-long legal battle between Maker’s Mark and a rival, a US-federal
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judge issued an injunction which prevented its competitor from using a dripping wax seal on its
tequilas. The seal had been the signature mark of Maker’s Mark for decades. 14
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In 2010, sales at Maker’s Mark crossed the 1 million cases mark and the following year, Rob
became the President and CEO of the brand while Samuels Jr. remained with the company as the
brand ambassador. While handing over the position to Rob, Samuels said, “Dad always said that
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even when he was boss, I was trying to tell everybody what to do….People say, ‘You’ll never be
able to take a subordinate role,’ but I’m going to prove them wrong.”15
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In 2011, Beam separated itself from its parent company, Fortune Brands, and thus, became a
separate public company.16 By that time, Maker’s Mark was selling around 800,000 cases annually
and it spent almost US$22 million on marketing its products, with most of its ad campaigns
focusing on highlighting the signature dripping red wax seal.17

d
Coopers are barrel makers. However, at Maker’s Mark, they were called ‘wood chefs’.

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Summarizing the family history, Rob said in 2011, “When TW [Samuels] built the distillery, there
were 200 stills in Kentucky and they all produced terrible whisky. My grandfather introduced good
taste to Bourbon – he substituted rye for red winter wheat – and then had to wait seven years to see
it mature. My daddy tells of going from eating steak on china to hot dogs on paper plates. Things
have improved a little since then. Maker’s last year launched Maker’s 46 – its second ever
product…..”18
In August 2011, a special bottle featuring three generations of Samuels: Bill Samuels Sr., Bill
Samuels Jr., and Rob Samuels, was rolled out in the market to support a cause.19 The proceeds of

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the good-looking bottle benefited some non-profit organizations like 21st Century Parks and
Habitat for Humanity. By May 2014, the proceeds totalled more than US$140,000.
In 2013, Maker’s Mark kicked off a huge controversy when it decided to lower the alcohol content

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in its whisky by three percentage points, from 45% alcohol by volume (90 proof) to 42% (84
proof), in order to meet customer demand. The reduction in alcohol would generate an additional
416,398 bottles, or 46,266 cases, and approximately US$2.4 million in additional revenue20.
Samuels said, “Demand for our bourbon is exceeding our ability to make it, which means we are
running very low on supply ... after looking at all possible solutions, we’ve worked carefully to
reduce the alcohol by volume (ABV) by just 3%. This will enable us to maintain the same taste

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profile and increase our limited supply so there is enough Maker’s Mark to go around, while we
continue to expand the distillery to increase our production capacity”. 21 However, the decision to

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dilute the brand left consumers livid. The backlash from customers quickly convinced Maker’s
Mark bourbon to reverse its decision to cut the amount of alcohol in bottles of its whisky. The
whole incident created a buzz about Maker’s Mark in the market. Critics and industry insiders
were divided over the company’s actual reasons for rolling out such a decision and then
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withdrawing it within a few days. Maker’s Mark’s actions raised many questions. First, analysts
wondered whether the company was actually so ineffective in managing the supply crisis that it
could not come out with other options like cutting the bottle size or increasing price rather than
diluting the bourbon.22 Second, people wondered how an established company like Maker’s Mark
could roll back its decision just because of thousands of anonymous complaints on social media. 23
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Finally, there were also suspicions voiced that it was a genius marketing ploy and the whole
incident was a publicity stunt, meant to garner attention for Maker’s Mark. “There’s no doubt that
with the change of the proof and then the reversal of that decision, we did see sort of a buying
forward from consumers,”24 said Beam chief executive Matthew Shattock (Shattock).
In 2014, Beam agreed to be acquired by Japan’s Suntory Holdings Ltd. for approximately
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US$13.62 billion. Suntory had a portfolio of spirits, with whiskies including Yamazaki and
Hakushu as well as Midori liqueur and other beverages. It already distributed Beam’s products in
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Japan. Beam, on its part, distributed Suntory’s products in Singapore and other Asian markets.

THE PRODUCT AND PRINCIPLES OF MAKER’S MARK MARKETING

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Bourbon, an American spirit, was an aged whisky with specified alcohol content. According to
Maker’s Mark, ‘All bourbon is whisky, not all whisky is bourbon’. In 1964, the U.S government
declared bourbon as ‘America’s Native Spirit’, making it a distinctive spirit of the US. During the
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1960s and the 1970s, when marketing activities increased at Maker’s Mark, the bourbon was sold
with the slogan ‘It tastes expensive…and is’.
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Usually the Maker’s Mark bourbon was aged for between 5.5 years and 7 years. After the
completion of the aging process, 150 bottles were combined in a batch, and machines were then
used to fill and seal the bottles. Although the capping part was done by machines, the signature red
wax seal was hand dipped. Four employees were deployed for dipping 72,000 bottles a day. A
hand-operated machine was used to stamp the printed thick sheet labels. After a brief period of
cooling, the bottles were ready for packaging.

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Samuels was considered a true pioneer and innovator, who helped to transform Maker’s Mark
from simple bourbon to a lifestyle brand. Shattock, President and Chief Executive Officer of
Beam, opined that Samuels had reinvented the marketing approach for the bourbon and believed
that he had contributed to changing the whole bourbon industry. It was believed thatalong with the
agency of Maker’s Mark,, Samuels used to create and write the advertisements. The print
advertisements and the company’s brochures emphasized the unique and handcrafted
characteristics of the bourbon. 25

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Maker’s Mark introduced an Ambassador program in 2000, to improve loyalty among its
customers. Todd Spencer of Doe-Anderson put forward some underlying principles of the Maker’s
Mark’s Ambassador program. The program was defined best as ‘word-of-mouth marketing’, under
which loyal members of the brand were asked for recommendations and referrals. Under the
program, through emails, Maker’s Mark allowed its loyal customers to add their name on the

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barrel. The ambassadors received several surprises throughout the year, which could be shared
among their friends and families. The surprises and gifts were not related to any reward or points;
The ambassadors were just a part of the Maker’s Mark community. The first principle adopted by
Maker’s Mark was treating its customers as friends, to whom personalized emails were sent; its
customers approved every decision at Maker’s Mark.26

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By 2012, the bourbon maker had an advertising budget of US$22 million per year, where most of
the advertisements were focused on its identifier – the red wax.27 The company had been relying

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heavily on word-of-mouth marketing, and so focused on customer centric programs and
advertisements. Moreover, under its parent company, Beam, Maker’s Mark had been following a
code of conduct for carrying out its marketing activities (Refer to Exhibit III for Detailed Beam
Marketing Code of Conduct). Over the years, Maker’s Mark came out with many clever print ads
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(Refer to Exhibit IV).

THE GIRLFRIEND AD

Maker’s Mark targeted male customers for its whisky brand. According to analysts, the target
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customers of Maker’s Mark were males aged above 19 years, with an interest in bourbon. For this,
it came up with a copy illustrating the bottle along with a message addressed to male customers
dissatisfied with their girlfriends or female partners in terms of their body and character. Observers
said that when men looked at the ad, their eyes were drawn to the hourglass figure of the bottle and
they could be left thinking of the type of woman they could have or should have. The message that
read, “Your bourbon has a great body and fine character, I wish the same could be said for my
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girlfriend”, was condemned by many analysts who pointed out that comparing a curved bottle to a
woman’s figure was objectifying women. They contended that the ad sent the wrong signals to
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society by its message which implied it was rare to find a fine character among women. As all
relationships went through their ups and downs, this ad seemed to draw on the fact that many
people turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism, as people did who were in a bad or messy
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relationship. This ad might fool the customer into temporarily feeling better about his situation but
was highly offensive and degrading to women, they said.28 . Critics said the backlash against the ad
emphasized that Maker’s Mark needed to think carefully before coming out with an ad campaign.
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They also felt it could lead to a fall in sales and that this kind of alcohol advertising might lure
minors to drink who were not of legal age. According to the Federal Trade Commissione, Self-
Regulation in the Alcohol Industry 1999, “While many factors may influence an underage person's
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drinking decisions, including among other things parents, peers, and the media, there is reason to
believe that advertising also plays a role.”29

e
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is an independent agency of the United States government to
prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices.

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The opinion of the analysts was that the Maker’s Mark advertisement was fairly straightforward in
its attempt to relate the alcohol to a woman, and was actually demeaning to women. The layout of
the ad was such that the text was on the left and the mortise of the bottle on the right. The image of
the bottle on the glass actually played more of a role in that it was not simply there to show what
the bottle looked like; there was also a reflection of it underneath. Its reflection showed it with a
womanly figure. According to some analysts, men reading this might either agree that their
girlfriends didn’t have a good body or character, or disagree, or might not even have a girlfriend.
In any case, they would understand that the alcohol was described as good while women were not.

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The analysts also opined that there was a need for transforming Maker’s Mark’s attitude toward
society. Otherwise, the brand would suffer in future. Some analysts felt that the copy line sought to
tell customers ‘If you drink our whisky, you will feel better because if you could not have a perfect
girlfriend, at least your drink was perfect’. They also contended that this ad used the emotional

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appeal to feed a negative feel into the customer’s unconscious desires in order to sell the product.
Because of the usage of the word girlfriend, this advertisement was targeting straight men from the
age of 21 to about 45. Most men older than 45 were either married, or had given up on dating, and
the legal drinking age was 21. The reason for targeting this age group was that it was men from
age 21 to 45 who were the most likely to drink this type of alcohol.30

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THE ‘HANDMADE’ CONTROVERSY

In another instance, a lawsuit was filed in December 2014 against the Maker’s Mark label which

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displayed that it was “handmade” (Refer to Exhibit V Image of Maker’s Mark whisky label
claiming “Handmade”).The suit claimed that Maker's Mark wrongly promoted its whisky as being
'handmade' when in fact the whisky was manufactured using mechanized and/or automated
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processes, which involved little to no human supervision, assistance, or involvement, as
demonstrated by photos and video footage of its manufacture. The label on the bottle said,
“Maker's Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky Handmade,” but the suit alleged that the
process included a mechanized or automated process of grinding/breaking up the grains; mixing
grains with yeast and water; transferring to fermenting vats; and bottling. 31
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The complaint used a video and photos from the Maker's Mark's distillery tour that showed that
modern equipment, rather than antique machinery, was used to crush the grain. While Beam
Suntory did not comment to the media about the specifics of its planned defence, an attorney and
bourbon expert, Chuck Cowdery, explained one potential strategy to the Lexington Herald-
Leaderf. “I’m sure somebody noticed ‘handmade’ on the Maker’s Mark label and figured the case
is just as good against Maker’s as it is against Tito’s, and Maker’s (i.e., Beam Suntory) has much
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deeper pockets,” Cowdery said by e-mail. “Maker’s Mark isn’t new to this question. They have
always pointed to the fact that every bottle is individually dipped in wax by hand. One might also
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argue that constant human oversight of all processes is a component of “handmade.”32

Beam Suntory issued a statement in response to the complaint. “This claim is without merit; we
will defend this case vigorously and we are confident that we will prevail,”33 spokesman Clarkson
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Hine said. The lawsuit was filed by Travis Williams and Safora Nowrouzi, residents of California,
who claimed in their complaint that the “handmade” statement had led them to purchase Maker's
Mark “under the false impression that the whisky was of superior quality.” “Defendant promotes
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its whisky as being 'handmade' when in fact defendant's whisky is manufactured using mechanized
and/or automated processes, which involves little to no human supervision, assistance, or
involvement,”34 the suit said. The suit included claims of false advertising, unfair competition, and
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negligent and intentional misrepresentation. It claimed damages exceeding US$5 million. “A

bottle of Maker’s Mark, sealed with its signature red wax, goes for about $32, while many other
similar whiskeys range in price from $13 to $25,”35 the lawsuit said.

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The Lexington Herald-Leader is a newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company and is based in the
U.S. city of Lexington, Kentucky.

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THE ROAD AHEAD

The Maker’s Mark ad comparing a bottle with a woman was widely criticized by analysts, who felt
that the advertising strategy of Maker’s Mark needed a change. The enforcement of an ethical code
of advertising for alcohol companies came into discussion (Refer to the Exhibit VI International
Economic Development Council (IEDC) Code of Ethics). According to industry experts, the
offensive use of women as marketing devices had crossed various cultural norms and expectations
in advertising. Then, there was the controversy related to the allegedly misleading ad. The

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increasing competition on all the platforms of marketing like the print media and social media had
created a tough scenario for all liquor companies in marketing their products. Although Maker’s
Mark had established its place in the market and had earned a distinctive fan base, the ruthless
competition could pose a severe challenge to the famous bourbon maker.

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Exhibit I
Image from the ‘Girlfriend’ Ad

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Source from http://intoxreport.com/2011/11/21/wine-women-and-just-plain-wrong/
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Exhibit II
Key financials of Suntory
(Billion Yen) 2014 2013 2012 2011
Net sales 2455.2 2040.2 1851.6 1802.8
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Operating Income 164.8 126.6 107.7 114.2

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Net Income 38.4 195.6 36.6 62.6

Adapted from http://www.suntory.com/about/financial/index.html
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Exhibit III
Beam Marketing Code
Responsible consumption Advertising and marketing must not encourage
excessive or irresponsible consumption or present
abstinence or moderation in a negative way
Directing Marketing and Advertising Advertising and marketing must be directed and

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to LPA (Legal Purchase Age) Adults designed to appeal to an LPA adult audience.
Responsibility Message Advertising and marketing must include a responsible
drinking message.

Hazardous and Dangerous Activities
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The ads and marketing may suggest or depict
consumption of beverage alcohol as part of relaxing or
celebration after active recreation or work but must not
depict alcohol beverage consumption with participation
in activities that could be dangerous while consuming
alcohol like swimming, bicycle riding, skiing, etc.

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Performance, Medical and Advertising and marketing must not create the

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Therapeutic Claims impression that consumption of alcohol enhances
mental ability or physical performance.
Alcohol Content Advertising and marketing should only display truthful
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information on alcohol strength and not emphasize
alcohol strength as a positive attribute of the brand.
Social Content Advertising and marketing must not suggest the success
of an occasion depends on the presence or consumption
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of alcohol.
Sexual Content Advertising and marketing must not contain or depict
alcohol consumption as enhancing sexual attractiveness
or as a requirement or enhancement for sexual success.
Electronic/Digital/Direct Marketing The standards of the Code apply to all media platforms,
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including digital media, which is used to transmit

commercial communications made or generated by
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Beam. Guidelines for digital marketing can be found on

the Beam Stir Portal/Digital Marketing Guidelines.
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Source: www.drinksmart.com/galleries/default-file/BeamMarketingCode_EN.pdf
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Exhibit IV
Key Campaigns of Maker’s Mark

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Red Eye Ad (1989) Burglar’s Ad (1991)
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The Parrot Ad (1993) A Day of Golf Ad (2005)

Source: www.makersmark.com

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Exhibit V
Image of Maker’s Mark Label Claiming “Handmade”

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Source from http://www.proteckmachinery.com/stats.php?p=makers-mark-label

Exhibit VI

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International Economic Development Council (IEDC) Code of Ethics
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 Marketing communication should not contain statements or visuals that offend standards of decency.
 Relevant factors likely to affect a customer’s decisions should be communicated in a way and time so
they can be taken into account.
 Marketing communication should not play on fear or exploit misfortune.
 Marketing communication should not appear to condone unlawful behavior.
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 Marketing communication should be truthful and should not by implication, omission, ambiguity, or
exaggeration mislead the customer
 Marketing should not misuse research results or quotations of individuals.
 Marketing claims made about a location should be capable of substantiation and that evidence should
be available so it can be provided to any organization responsible for regulation of ethics of the
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profession.
 When an advertisement appears in a medium containing news or editorial matter, it should be
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recognizable as an advertisement and the identity of the advertiser should be identifiable. Where
appropriate, it should contain contact information to enable the customer to contact the advertiser.
 Marketing communication that contains comparisons should comply with the principles of fair
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competition and be based on facts that can be substantiated and not unfairly selected.
 Marketing communication should not denigrate any person, group of persons, organization, or community.
 Marketing should not contain any testimonial or endorsement unless it is genuine, verifiable, and relevant.
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 Marketing communication should not imitate those of another marketer in any way likely to mislead
or confuse the customer.
 Those who collect data in connection with marketing communication activity should have a written
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privacy policy that is readily available to customers.

 In any communication channel (including social media), if an opinion is put forward that could lead to
an action that financially benefits the author (or employer), it should include a full disclosure
statement.
Source from http://strengtheningbrandamerica.com/blog/2011/07/ethics-in-advertising-and-promotion/

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End Notes:

1
www.nku.edu/~lipping/PHE385/16670728.pdf
2
www.suntory.com/about/financial/results.html
3
“An Interview with Bill Samuels Jr., President of Maker’s Mark Bourbon,” http://cocktails.about.com.
4
Douglas MacMillan, “The Making of Maker’s Mark,” http://images.businessweek.com.
5
“Maker’s Mark Crisis Timeline,” http://timerime.com, Accessed on June 12, 2014.

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6
“The First Taste,” www.makersmark.com
7
“Bourbon History Timeline,” http://cocktails.about.com, Accessed on June 19, 2014
8
Tom Eblen, “Maker’s Mark Leadership to Change, but it Stays in the Samuels Family,”
www.kentucky.com, April 11, 2011.

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9
“The Story of Maker’s Mark Whiskey,” www.drinkspirits.com, March 15, 2012.
10
“Historic Landmark,” www.makersmark.com
11
Tom Eblen, “Maker’s Mark Leadership to Change, but it Stays in the Samuels Family,”
www.kentucky.com, April 11, 2011.
12
“Maker’s 46,” www.makersmark.com
13
Bruce Schreiner, “Maker’s Mark 46 Bourbon: Distillery’s First New Product in Five Decades,”

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www.huffingtonpost.com, June 08, 2010.
14
Bruce Schreiner, “Samuels to Step Down as Maker’s Mark President,” www.manufacturing.net, January

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16
12, 2011.

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Tom Eblen, “Maker’s Mark Leadership to Change, but it Stays in the Samuels Family,”
www.kentucky.com, April 11, 2011.
“History,” www.beamsuntory.com
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17
“Court Weighs Trademark on Maker’s Mark Wax Seal,” http://cnsnews.com, December 01, 2011.
18
Jonathan Sibun, “Maker’s Mark is in No Rush to Change,” www.telegraph.co.uk, May 22, 2011.
19
“A Special Bottle, a Great Cause,” www.makersmark.com.
20
Will Ashworth, “Beam Looks to Take Maker’s Mark Further,” www.investopedia.com, February 10, 2013.
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21
Ibid.
22
Avi Dan, “Maker’s Mark’s Plain Dumb Move Proved To Be Pure Marketing Genius,”
www.forbes.com, May 6, 2013.
23
Jonathan Salem Baskin, “Whether Sinisterly Smart or Disturbingly Dumb, Maker’s Mark Missed the
Mark,” www.forbes.com, February 25, 2013.
24
Courtney Subramanian, “Proof Positive: Maker’s Mark Blunder Results in Surprise Profit,”
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www.business.time.com, May 3, 2013.

25
“Digest,” Volume 16-17, Amercian Folklore Society, 1996
26
“4 Guiding Principles behind Maker’s Mark’s Amazing Fan Community,” http://wordofmouth.org, May
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8, 2012.
27
Eric Markowitz, “A Kentucky Family Business, an Iconic Seal & a Lawsuit,” www.inc.com, July 11, 2012.
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28
Kim Eskilida,” Rhetorical Analysis of the Makers Mark ad,”
https://sites.google.com/site/kimberlykeskilida/project-1
29
“Alcohol Advertising and Youth,” www.camy.org
30
Russel Hanson, “Advertisement Objectification,” www.russelscollegeenglish.blogspot.in, January 27, 2011.
O

31
Janet Patton, “Maker's Mark sued over 'handmade' claim on label of its bourbon,” www.kentucky.com,
December 9, 2014.
32
D

Kevin Boyd, “Lawsuits against premium booze makers may have major impact on spirits labelling,”
www.rstreet.org, December 16, 2014.
33
Janet Patton, “Maker's Mark sued over 'handmade' claim on label of its bourbon,” www.kentucky.com,
December 9, 2014.
34
Bruce Schreiner, “Lawsuit accuses Maker's Mark of false advertising,” www.usatoday.com, December
9, 2014.
35
Kristina Davis, “Lawsuits go after ‘handmade’ liquor label,” www.utsandiego.com, December 11, 2014.

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