Small tweak, big result: Four Roses campaign scores 50% more effective with improved brand recognition

Pernod introduced a new whiskey variety, Single Barrel, under the Four Roses brand. The campaign, with the slogan "There's a new rose in town," focused on raising awareness and making the outdoor advertising stand out. Validators was commissioned to investigate and improve the effectiveness and conspicuity of this campaign.

The approach

To thoroughly test the campaign, Validators used a combination of eye tracking research and an online questionnaire. In a weekly carousel, 25 respondents evaluated the campaign through eye tracking. Subsequently, 100 respondents completed an online questionnaire, in which they indicated how they experienced the message and the Four Roses brand. This combined method provided quick insight into the so-called "5 seconds" score: does the expression stand out enough in that short time and does the brand name stick?

The result

The test showed that the mock-up of outdoor advertising developed by Validators was 50% more effective than the original version. In addition, brand recognition ("brand recall") increased by 22%. This had a direct, positive impact on brand impact and reduced confusion with competitors. The main explanation for this success is the better visibility of the brand in the first 2 and 5 seconds of the contact moment. By incorporating the logo more emphatically and making the text more legible, the essence of the expression stuck with consumers.

Concrete outcomes and follow-up

In the mock-up, Four Roses' logo has been made more prominent, so consumers recognize the brand almost immediately. In addition, the slogan was positioned more legibly. The rest of the expression remained largely unchanged, demonstrating that small visual tweaks can already have a major effect on the success of outdoor advertising. Thanks to these improvements, Pernod saw a marked increase in brand recognition, while reducing the likelihood of confusion with competing brands.