Dan Murphy’s pays homage to its roots

Endeavour Group retailer Dan Murphy’s has launched a new brand direction which tells the story of its namesake and Founder, Daniel Francis Murphy.

Daniel was known as an entrepreneurial and ‘larger than life’ character, famous for his innovative ideas in the liquor industry. From the time he opened his first store, he was committed to helping democratise wine and educate Australian consumers about the wide world of drinks beyond the popular rum and beer beverages of the era.

From his time in the RAAF, to creating an underground wine club, or being among the first to import international wine in Australia, Daniel’s life was full of incredible defining moments that continue to influence the attitudes of Dan Murphy’s today. Some of these moments are illustrated through the new creative works of the retailer, including this commercial.

Monique Holmes, Head of Marketing & Loyalty at Dan Murphy’s, said: “Helping Australia drink better sits at the heart of so much of what we do day in, day out. The spirit of improvement and discovery is something that’s been with the brand since Dan Murphy first established it back in 1952. That’s why when it came time for a brand idea, we couldn’t go past the intriguing stories that shaped the man himself.”

Alex Freudmann, Managing Director of Dan Murphy’s, said the story of Daniel and his influence on the industry is iconic, but isn’t as widely known as it should be.

“If you ask Australians, many don’t know that ‘Uncle Dan’ was a wine-loving entrepreneur who created innovations that have shaped the Australian drinks industry,” he said.

“He was passionate about making great drinks accessible to everyone, and his innovative and entrepreneurial spirit still very much lives on at Dan Murphy’s today.”

The creative work on this idea was developed by Thinkerbell, with the story to be rolled out across television, OOH, in-store and online material, and activations in the coming months.

Tom Wenborn from Thinkerbell said: “By sharing the story of its founder, we wanted to show that Dan Murphy’s has been a leader since the start, and continues to be a trusted expert in the world of drinks.”

“It’s a daunting task, reimagining the life of someone like Dan Murphy, his attitude made such a big impact on an entire industry. While he deserved his own kick-ass biopic or novel, we’ve started with a series of commercials, which in a way we think he would have been happier with having written and directed his own commercials throughout his time. We’re incredibly proud of how the team pulled this piece together, from the research to the production, the time-travelling has been well worth it.”