Hasta La Creative!

Beam Suntory has launched a creative review for its global Jim Beam account, formerly handled by a consortium collectively known as StoryWorks, comprised of Mekanism in the U.S., The Works in Australia and Jung von Matt in Germany. (Wait, people drink Jim Beam in Germany!?)

“I can confirm that we are in official review for Jim Beam’s global creative agency, which is being managed by our global marketing team out of our Deerfield, Ill., headquarters, however, we have no other news to share at the moment,” a brand spokesperson told AdAge.

We’ve been unable to reach Beam Suntory PR regarding the business today, so we can’t confirm whether StoryWorks will be replaced by a single agency or which shops received the RFP.

Mekanism deferred to the client, but sources claim the agency will not be participating in the review. The brand launched its “Make History” campaign starring Mila Kunis back in 2014. According to Kantar Media, Beam Suntory spent approximately $27 million on measured media domestically for Jim Beam last year.

The launch of the review follows Beam Suntory naming Austin agency Preacher as creative agency of record for its Knob Creek and Basil Hayden’s whiskey brands last month, as well as the arrival of Coca-Cola veteran Rebecca Messina as Beam Suntory’s new global CMO this spring.

The new face of Jim Beam, the iconic bourbon brand, might not be quite what you expect. While a rough-around-the-edges cowboy or country rock star might seem to fit the bill—Jim Beam has used Kid Rock at times in the past—its newest spokesperson is the petite and beautiful Mila Kunis.

The 30-year-old actress, who says she is a big fan of bourbon in general, is featured in two new 30-second Beam ads, as well as five other videos ranging in length from 15 seconds to more than three minutes.

The first commercial features a series of quasi-historical events (the transition to the '60s is a little visually jarring), and in the second, Kunis is seen branding her own barrel of bourbon. She narrates, and smolders, in both. "Make history" is the tagline of the new global campaign.

The supporting videos are pretty fun. Save for "Mila Kunis & Hibernation," which feels a little bit too much like a production of a scene in Indiana Jones, the other shorts are funny and quirky and a little less serious than the two main spots. And if you find yourself feeling the need to whisper "Shut up, Meg," it's because Kunis—no stranger to voiceover work—has been the voice of Meg Griffin on Family Guy for the past 14 years.

Nice move on Jim Beam's part in an attempt to appeal to millennials. The campaign is by FutureWorks, a new entity comprised of three regional Beam creative agencies—StrawberryFrog in New York, The Works in Sydney, Australia, and Jung von Matt, Hamburg, Germany.