The Bourbon Salute
Giving Back to Our Airmen by supporting McConnell’s First Sergeant’s Council
The Bourbon Salute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit annual fundraising event benefiting the First Sergeant’s Council at McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas, a group committed to uplifting the morale and well-being of airmen and women on base. This event brings the community together for an evening of bourbon and barbecue pairings, a full dinner, live auction, and more, in support of the service members in Wichita.
Services Provided
Event Marketing
Social Media Strategy & Management
Website Design & Development
Print Design
Branding & Logo Design
Content Marketing
Digital Advertisement
Project Scope
At its origin in 2019, The Bourbon Salute needed a cohesive, compelling brand identity and a polished event experience to attract attendees, secure sponsorships, and establish a loyal following.
The challenge was to create a high-end yet approachable feel for the event that benefited the First Sergeant’s Council while appealing to a wide range of supporters in the Wichita community. With no existing assets or marketing infrastructure, everything needed to be developed from the ground up.
Event Marketing
Through email campaigns and social media management, we build awareness and boost engagement in the weeks leading up to the event and in the off season. Professionally designed print materials and signage help shape a memorable experience each year.
The event has grown exponentially in seven years, exceeding fundraising goals, and setting the foundation for a successful annual tradition.
Social Media Strategy & Management
As an annual fundraiser, our main goal in creating a social media marketing campaign for The Bourbon Salute was to increase their following and drive ticket sales by consistently delivering informative posts regarding the event.
This content was paired with custom graphics that remained cohesive with their overall brand image and gave their followers an idea of what to expect in supporting this event.
Website Design & Development
The key objective in creating an online space for The Bourbon Salute was to enable users to easily access information about the event and have the ability to purchase tickets directly from the site.
From research and ideation to design and implementation, we completed this website by creating a very simple flow that allowed users to purchase their tickets with just a few clicks, as well as contact the event coordinator with any questions.
Print Design
With a large event space and a number of fundraising opportunities, there was a wide range of print material needed to ensure the overall experience went smoothly, preventing any confusion for the event attendees.
We worked with the hosts of The Bourbon Salute to strategize best practices for designs based on the layout of the venue and what materials they would need for a successful evening – this included apparel, large banners, posters, table tents, and more.
Branding
In developing branding for The Bourbon Salute, we approached it with an aim to combine a classic, pleasant, and smooth look and feel, with the a representation of the First Sergeant’s Council.
We successfully executed this with a simple logo design and a dark, minimal color palette that highlighted the high quality bourbon photography used throughout the website and print materials to ultimately showcase the main feature of the event.
Content Marketing
We have built a strong brand identity that reflects the event’s tone and purpose. With consistent brand messaging and email campaigns, attendees and sponsors know they can expect the same top-notch bourbon tasting experience each year.
