By Tabitha Evans Moore | EDITOR & PUBLISHER

LYNCHBURG, Tenn. — I’m sitting on my couch, snuggled up ready to enjoy my favorite show when suddenly I hear a familiar voice talking about a very familiar subject.

“Jack Daniel’s starts here,” Jeff Bridges’ unmistakable raspy, baritone voice says, as I look up to see someone wading knee-deep in the world-famous cave spring. Over the course of the next 60 seconds, I spot lots of familiar faces  – Darren Lipham, Lonza Dangerfield, Byron Copeland, Chris Fletcher, and Paul Anderson all appear on screen – underscoring Jack’s tradional people-first message.

Last month, Jack Daniel’s launched a bold, new global campaign titled That’s What Makes Jack Jack. Developed in partnership with creative agency Energy BBDO, the campaign blends fast-cut Guy Ritchie-style cinematography with black-and-white film, guiding viewers through a single drop of whiskey’s journey from cave spring to charcoal mellowing then from barrel house to bar glass.

We caught up with Jack Daniels Mark Bacon, SVP Managing Director to talk about the campaign, it’s inspiration, and what it says about our tiny home town.

Bacon says the campaign emphasizes the journey from Lynchburg, Tennessee – the only place in the world where Jack Daniel’s in made – through the process of a single drop of whiskey, and then to the people – both the generations of locals who make it and those who enjoy it around the globe.

Sinatra – the OG Jack influencer

Like a modern-day Frank Sinatra, Bridges lends his iconic voice to the ads. Before the days of social media influencers, Sinatra once helped our local product spread like wildfire across the country.

Legend holds that he first discovered Jack Daniel’s in the 1940s and quickly became not just a fan, but a fervent evangelist. He famously referred to it as “the nectar of the gods,” and was often seen sipping it on stage, in interviews, and with his infamous Rat Pack friends. He even demanded that bars carry Jack Daniel’s – if they didn’t, he’d reportedly walk out. His connection ran so deep that a bottle of Jack was placed in his casket when he died in 1998, alongside a pack of Camels and a Zippo lighter.

Sinatra made Jack cool. At a time when most Americans hadn’t even heard of the Tennessee whiskey, Sinatra’s public affection helped put it on the cultural map. Sales soared in the post-war decades thanks in no small part to his influence.

The That’s What Makes Jack Jack campaign aims to reinforce what’s made Jack Daniel’s a household name since the days of Sinatra: process, pride, and the people of Lynchburg, Tennessee. And, of course, what could be cooler than the voice of The Big Lebowski’s The Dude?

Throwback to the Postcard from Lynchburg campaign

The campaign is a bold return to the classic black & white iconography of early Jack Daniel’s advertising. For longtime fans, the campaign may feel like a high-octane throwback to the iconic Postcards from Lynchburg print series that once cemented Jack’s small-town cool on a global stage. Those tongue-in-cheek ads spotlighted real Lynchburg locals in sepia-toned snapshots – leaning into charm, authenticity, and tradition. While the new campaign trades photos for film, the spirit remains the same – celebrating the unchanged grain bill, the Lincoln County Process, and the hands that still craft Jack Daniel’s today. It’s nostalgia with momentum – a little bit heritage, a little bit rock and roll.

“The film was primarily shot at the Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg – grounding the work in authenticity,” says Bacon. “This will be a full 360-degree campaign, with a full suite of global and localized assets to reach Jack’s target audience across core and emerging geographies.”

According to Bacon, the campaign targets a broad spectrum of current and future Jack drinkers, and a range of native content has been developed to reach drinkers where they are.

“The campaign has been validated with drinkers across key global markets, and we are pleased to see it consistently perform significantly above benchmark on critical KPIs, highlighting its appeal, impact, and ability to deliver the compelling message that Jack is a whiskey like no other.,” he says.

It’s inclusive and sidesteps the “culture wars”

At a time when global advertising often dilutes a brand’s identity, Jack Daniel’s is doing the opposite – digging deeper into the authenticity of place and process. The goal is to show that what makes Jack Jack isn’t a gimmick – it’s the lived reality of a dry county with one stoplight and a whiskey known in over 170 countries.

The campaign also lands at a delicate cultural crossroads. While Brown-Forman has recently faced criticism for walking back its DEI policies, That’s What Makes Jack Jack quietly leans inclusive. The campaign is more diverse, more emotional, and more story-driven – signaling a subtle evolution in a brand that traditionally skews older and more conservative. At the same time, it sidesteps the culture wars by staying rooted in story rather than slogans, letting the work – and the whiskey – speak for itself.

“Jack Daniel’s is an iconic brand with a rich story to tell and one of the most recognizable names in any bar around the world,” Bacon says. “This campaign inspires people to live life on their own terms by celebrating all the signature things that make Jack, JACK, from how and where it’s made to who drinks it.”

Whether you’re a local, longtime fan sipping on tradition, or part of a new generation discovering Old No. 7 in a cocktail bar, this campaign reminds viewers of one thing: Jack Daniel’s might live in Lynchburg, but it belongs to the world. •

{The Lynchburg Times is a non-partisan, locally owned community newspaper located in Lynchburg, Tennessee. We publish new stories daily as well as breaking news as it happens. It’s run by a Moore County native and Tulane University-educated journalist with over 20 years of experience. It’s also one of the few women-owned newspapers in the state. We are supported by both readers and community partners who believe in independent journalism for the common good. You can support us by clicking here. }