Wonderworks Communications, co-founded by Sarah Wildman-King and Miranda Hart, is a creative powerhouse dedicated exclusively to the drinks industry. From their humble beginnings in 2014, born out of a shared passion for premium drinks, to becoming a globally recognized agency, Wonderworks has consistently transformed brands with innovative, immersive campaigns.
Their work with iconic brands like Courvoisier, Avallen Spirits, and Ardray showcases their ability to uncover the spark that connects brands with audiences. As they celebrate their 10th anniversary, Sarah and Miranda reflect on the challenges, successes, and creative processes that have shaped Wonderworks into a leader in the industry.
How was your company born and where are you based?
At Wonderworks, we are creative experts in drinks. We believe that wonder is all around us, ready to be uncovered by brands and ripe for audiences to connect with it. We are a through-the-line creative agency working exclusively with drinks brands and are driven by a passion for the industry and a commitment to delivering strategic and creative excellence. A team of bright strategists, talented designers and brand visionaries, we transform drinks brands, bringing them to life on a global scale.
Wonderworks was born in 2014 out of a shared passion for creativity and premium drinks when Miranda Hart and Sarah Wildman-King joined forces after meeting while working on Thailand’s biggest whisky brand. Their collaboration was fuelled by a shared vision and an instinctive desire to deliver great work, underpinned by complementary skills that both challenged and supported one another.
Sarah and Miranda built Wonderworks on the principles of honesty, creativity and collaboration, bringing their friendship and deep drinks marketing expertise to the forefront. When the opportunity arose to launch their own business, it was a natural next step.
“We didn’t overthink it, we just seized the opportunity, knuckled down and continued to deliver great creative, deepening and widening our client relationships. Those were the two things that were clear to us from the start as central to what we wanted to do – great work, and great people.”
- Sarah Wildman-King
Today, we are a global team of 25, operating in both the UK and across Western and Eastern Europe.
What was the biggest challenge to the growth of your company?
Our biggest challenge in growing Wonderworks has been building the right team at the right time. Given the uncertain nature of business growth, it can be hard to have the right people in place at the right time.
At Wonderworks, we like to say we are ‘small in size, huge in experience.” It’s not just our clients, but our culture that serves as a cornerstone of our success. We are a tight-knit, collaborative team with a wealth of industry expertise at our fingertips and above all, share a passion for the world of premium drinks.
Which was the first huge success that you can remember?
Our first huge success came with winning a pitch for Britvic’s Mathieu Teisseire. We developed the trade-facing brand strategy, identity, and activation strategy, which enabled global teams to bring the brand to life consistently, showcasing Mathieu Teisseire's vibrant flavours and premium positioning as the no.1 syrup in France. Our work was rolled out globally, giving the trade a taste of the brand's "True Flavour" experience.
Shortly after, we hosted, at the time, Suntory Global Spirit’s owned, Courvoisier’s, brand relaunch, "Toast of Paris," on the Eiffel Tower – developing a marketing campaign and packaging redesign that celebrated the brand's heritage and its connection to Paris' Golden Age.
Both projects were breakthroughs for us, allowing us to exemplify our ability to craft innovative, immersive campaigns that resonate with audiences and cementing our reputation as experts in drinks. These were pivotal moments for us, and both clients, Mathieu Teissiere and Courvoisier, are still with us today.
What’s the biggest opportunity for you and your company in the next year?
In October, we celebrate our 10th anniversary. We have grown a lot in the last 10 years, and our journey over the past year alone, has seen us achieve significant milestones.
We have already grown our team significantly, bringing on board new talent to enhance our creative and strategic capabilities, and grow our client base, and the biggest opportunity over the next year will be continuing to grow the talent within the team and strengthening our capabilities through investing internally.
We also opened of a new office in Edinburgh to allow us to better serve our Scottish clients, and next year we’ll be focused on growing both our team and client base in Scotland.
Other than talent, our focus is always on working with a wider and wider portfolio of global drinks brands. Over the past year, we have had several notable account wins strengthening our presence within Suntory Global Spirits, securing expanded roles with Laphroaig, Ardray Whisky, Courvoisier and other key brands, as well as partnering with Tres Generaciones to elevate their brand presence.
Our collaboration with Bacardi-MARTINI has also deepened, resulting in impactful campaigns that have further solidified our reputation, and we have begun working with Stock Spirits, a growing global and commercially focused business.
Next year, we hope to grow our portfolio even further – working with new global drinks houses across a range of brands in multiple drinks categories.
Can you explain your team’s creative process? What makes it unique?
We believe Wonder is all around us. And our mission is to help brands uncover it and audiences to connect with it. We only work with drinks brands, which gives our team the depth & breadth of knowledge to develop winning strategies and tactics that connect a brand to its audience and culture.
We define wonder as the big idea that creates a spark, connecting brand and audience. Our SPARK model is designed to grow brands and attract new audiences by lighting this spark. Our team achieves this by cutting to the heart of the brand to uncover the spark that makes it distinctive and compelling.
A process that requires a deep understanding of brand truths, commercial objectives, and audience needs. It’s a mix of instinct, honed by years of experience and inherently curious minds.
Once we identify the spark, we bring it to life through visual design, communication strategy, and activation, ensuring the spark spreads like wildfire and resonates deeply with audiences. This approach allows us to consistently deliver creative solutions that drive meaningful connections and growth for our clients.
How does your team remain inspired and motivated?
At Wonderworks, one of our core objectives is to be experts in the drinks industry. Whilst our client work is key, it’s also our internal and external initiatives that truly highlight our commitment to industry leadership and talent development. Our team stays inspired and motivated through these initiatives which are designed to deepen our knowledge of our industry, whilst fostering a creative and inclusive culture.
For example, we host the WonderNETwork, a community of drinks professionals who get together either virtually or in person each quarter to network, share insights, and support one another, and we encourage our team to attend and get involved in this.
Each session delves into a trend that significantly impacts our industry and shapes consumer behaviour, such as "The Power of the Serve," "Adopting a Digital First Approach to Building Drinks Brands," or "Drinks Brands with Purpose." Following each WonderNETwork event, our team produces a detailed in-depth Insight Report and a Visual Audit on the topic.
In our day-to-day operations, we encourage our team to share their latest findings and insights on drinks industry trends, activations, brand launches, designs and campaigns etc., through a series of daily spotlights – spreading the sense of wonder, excitement and knowledge of our industry. In addition, team attendance at drinks events and trade shows is the norm for us, creating a sense of involvement and a deeper connection to our industry.
These practices not only boost morale but also encourage the free flow of ideas, contributing to our creative culture.
How has COVID-19 affected your company?
COVID-19 has made us more global than ever, both in terms of our clients and our workforce. The pandemic reset our company culture to be very people-centric, fostering a diverse and inclusive environment.
Which agencies do you gain inspiration from? Do you have any heroes in the industry?
We don’t focus too much on other agencies for inspiration. Instead, we concentrate on honing our own strengths and capabilities. Our approach is to focus on continually improving what we do best and driving innovation from within.
We do have many female heroes within the industry however! As a women-founded and female-led agency, in an industry where women are often underrepresented, we look to the amazing, inspiring and powerful women in drinks who are driving our industry forwards.
There are too many to name, but our journey wouldn’t have been the same without the generosity of colleagues, friends and clients far and wide who have shared their expertise and insight, kind words, surprising words and sometimes even tough words, which have all helped to propel us forwards.
Now, we pay the generosity we received forwards in our own Wonder Women mentoring programme which supports women in the drinks industry, fostering a new generation of female leaders from across all backgrounds and skills. In its fourth year, we have successfully mentored over 50 women helping them achieve new ambitions, goals and milestones in their careers.
What is one tip that you would give to other agencies looking to grow?
Invest in people but understand that growth takes time and determination. There’s no silver bullet— have a good plan but expect mistakes and be prepared to change tact if it’s not working.
How do you go about finding new clients/business? (Pitching, work with retainers, etc.)
Through a combination of ways – networking, industry and client relationships, growing business from within, and investing in our own marketing and sales efforts. Making sure we are at the forefront of our industry not only through our creative work, but also through our insights and expertise.
For example, this year we attracted new clients through a combination of showcasing our proven track record and building strong relationships within the industry. By delivering standout work for high-profile brands like Suntory Global Spirits and Bacardi-MARTINI, we created compelling case studies that highlighted our expertise.
Additionally, our reputation for crafting magnetic brand experiences often leads to referrals and opportunities for new business. Our approach involves pitching tailored solutions and leveraging existing client success to open doors to new partnerships.
Awards and recognition have also helped, including our most recent shortlist for The Drum Marketing Awards EMEA Food & Beverage category for our work on Courvoisier’s “Welcome to The Gala” campaign.
What’s your one big hope for the future of the industry?
- That our industry continues to excel on a global scale as a positive creative force
- That it continues to become more and more inclusive and diverse
- That it addresses its contributions towards the climate crisis and takes significant steps towards positive change and a greener future
Can you share a defining moment in your company's journey that shaped its identity or direction?
Our defining moment came in 2016 when we decided to focus exclusively on drinks brands, shifting away from targeting broader ‘premium lifestyle brands’. Niching unlocked significant opportunities for us, allowing us to develop deep expertise and build stronger, more impactful connections with our clients.
How do you foster a culture of innovation and experimentation within your team?
Our ethos is simple: champion creative talent and cultivate deep knowledge of the trade. This guiding principle shapes our approach and drives our team to deliver exceptional results.
By focusing on flexibility and fostering a supportive environment, we’ve built an agile team that can respond swiftly to the evolving demands of the premium drinks market, ensuring we remain true to our core values of great work and great people.
What measures do you take to ensure diversity and inclusion are prioritised within your company?
As a women-founded and female-led agency, a category underrepresented in our industry, our focus is on championing creative talent and deep knowledge of the drinks industry.
We prioritise diversity and inclusion by building a global team with diverse backgrounds, including various ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, and ages, and above all who have a shared passion for drinks.
Our ethos is to foster an environment where every voice is heard and every idea is valued, ensuring that our work is not only innovative but diverse and true to who we are. A commitment to diversity that we feel enhances our creativity and strengthens our connection to the global drinks market.
Can you describe a project that challenged your team creatively and how you overcame any obstacles?
In the past year, on project that comes to mind is our work on Courvoisier’s “Welcome to The Gala” campaign. An often dark and status-driven category, cognac was rapidly becoming outdated and losing relevance with modern consumers. Spotting an opportunity to reappraise and expand cognac, a category with limited occasionability, Courvoisier had to challenge convention and reinvent itself.
The Courvoisier team presented us with a challenge: to devise a new signature serve strategy and global multi-channel campaign, providing consumers a gateway to the joyful world of Courvoisier.
The business priorities for 2023 were clear. First, reimagine the cognac experience and drive category reappraisal through education, advocacy, and experience. Next, increase brand relevance and connect to the cultural zeitgeist. Finally, build Courvoisier’s Prestige business and establish credibility in the luxury market, accelerating the premiumisation of the Courvoisier brand.
Taking all of this into consideration, our objectives were to:
- Spark a fresh lease of life into the well-established, historic brand connecting with its existing audience whilst inviting younger drinkers to experience a new way of enjoying cognac.
- Establish new cognac drinking occasions. Transform a relatively unfamiliar drink into the go-to cocktail of the summer by owning key daytime drinking occasions such as brunch, lunch and sundown that connect to culturally relevant moments. A step change from cognac’s usual environment of the after dinner digestif.
Recognising the power of a winning serve to create lasting impressions with consumers, we created "Welcome to The Gala," a campaign that embraced Courvoisier’s spirit of joie de vivre through the modern Courvoisier Gala cocktail and converted a new generation of drinkers to the brand.
Showcasing The Gala across the on-trade, off-trade, OOH, and digital channels throughout London & the UK during the summer of 2023, “Welcome to The Gala” invited consumers into the joyful world of Courvoisier with a fresh take on the brand's historic cocktail.
The results were exceptional, surpassing targets and increasing brand consideration by 20% in the UK market. Out-of-home presence exceeded expectations with a remarkable 57% increase in set targets, garnering over 18 million impressions. Digital engagement resonated strongly with the coveted 25–34-year-old market, achieving 26 million impressions. Additionally, a strategic partnership with Time Out resulted in 8.8 million digital impressions.
Having a global impact, the campaign not only set a new standard for cognac drinking within the category, but solidified Courvoisier’s position as a premium spirit, converting shoppers into steadfast brand advocates.
What strategies do you employ to adapt to changes and trends in the industry while staying true to your company's values?
As mentioned above, keeping our team immersed in and up to date on what’s happening in our industry. In addition, all our internal & external initiatives such as the Wonder Women mentoring programme, WonderNETwork, our Insight Reports & Visual Audits, attendance at industry trade shows & events etc.
We maintain our values by awareness and consideration of all our initiatives and how they fit into the greater world of drinks making sure that everything we do underpins the greater good for our industry and our people.
Can you share a memorable client success story that exemplifies your company's approach and impact?
A memorable client success story that exemplifies our company's approach and impact is the launch of Ardray and Avellan, two distinct brands with a shared desire to shake up the industry. Ardray, owned by Suntory Global Spirits, sought to drive reappraisal of blended whisky. We helped them craft a compelling brand strategy and creative campaign that challenged perceptions and engaged a new audience.
On the other hand, Avellan was a startup with no initial investment capital but a mission to create the world’s most sustainable spirit. We believed in their vision and partnered with them on an equity basis, designing their packaging, brand world, and communications.
Over the last five years, Avellan has achieved remarkable success, demonstrating the power of creativity and collaboration. These examples showcase our creativity and the agency’s attitude to be a true brand partner, that we bring to every project, helping our clients achieve their goals with passion and innovation.
In what ways do you invest in the professional development and growth of your team members?
In addition to the external opportunities already mentioned, internally, we provide mentoring opportunities for all employees, creating a space for discussing career challenges and opportunities and ensuring our team members grow both professionally and personally.
We have supported and continue to support, employees in career changes from being agency side to working in hospitality, going freelance, moving countries or living and working abroad. Recently, we became sponsors of Japan House in London, through our dedication to Japanese culture and our work with The House of Suntory. We frequently take our team to Japan House events, including sending our Midweight Designer to Japan for three months.
In our day-to-day operations, we also strive to maintain a vibrant and inclusive culture. Daily spotlights on team members foster a sense of community and belonging, and for fun, each quarter we host a Wellness Day in London or further afield, for our team to come together, forget about work, and enjoy each other’s company.
How do you approach sustainability and ethical practices within your company's operations and projects?
We approach sustainability and ethical practices by integrating them into our projects and operations wherever possible. We actively choose to collaborate with businesses that prioritise sustainable practices and are working towards becoming B Corp certified.
Moreover, we have an eye of people beyond profit, and actively choose to work with more sustainably minded businesses. A great example is our ongoing work with Avallen Spirits.
Recently, we hosted a WonderNETwork webinar titled "Raising the Bar on Sustainability – Is the Drinks Industry Walking the Talk?" featuring expert speakers who shared insights on the impact of drinks on the sustainability crisis and how to do better.
We also published an Insight Report on the topic which we shared far and wide, helping us and our industry learn how we can enact long-term, meaningful, systemic change towards a more positive future.
Can you discuss a time when your company had to pivot or innovate in response to unforeseen challenges, and what lessons did you learn from that experience?
As we’re sure many have answered, COVID-19. During that time, we faced the need to make rapid, tough decisions and adapt swiftly. We learned that it’s crucial not to take challenges personally and to be prepared to pivot quickly.
There’s no universal masterplan for every business; the key is to do what’s ‘right’ for your specific situation and be ready to embrace and learn from failure.
Do you have any websites, books or resources that you would recommend?
Personally, I found the Mark Ritson MBA programme to be an invaluable resource for strategic insights. LinkedIn is also essential for staying updated with industry trends and networking.
Additionally, the various drinks industry publications such as The Spirits / Drinks Business, Harpers Wine & Spirit, Imbibe, CLASS etc. are crucial for understanding market dynamics and emerging trends. For a comprehensive view, I recommend these resources to anyone looking to deepen their knowledge and stay connected in the industry.
- Sarah Wildman-King Mir
I constantly, seek knowledge by tapping into popular culture be that podcasts, news reports or books that allow me to connect with our audience.
- Miranda Hart
