The Exchange Cocktail Bar
Campaign + Storytelling
The Brief:
The Exchange had something most bars don't: true history in its bones. Following the rebrand, the challenge was bringing that identity to life across every customer touchpoint — web, email, and social — in a way that felt as distinctive and layered as the brand itself.
My Role:
As JDA's dedicated writer for The Exchange, I developed web copy, email campaigns, and paid social content rooted in the historical research our team conducted on each location. Rather than treating the history as background context, I used it as an active creative engine — mining the specific stories, lore, and characters connected to each building to fuel a recurring content strategy that gave audiences a genuine reason to keep paying attention.
Paid Social
The historical research our team conducted on each location became a recurring source of content — fueling events, menus, and social posts throughout the year.
Here are two examples from the top-performing posts:
"Our drinks are potent, but they won't rouse the dead. Although, we have reason to believe the previous occupants of Hammond Block may have tried. During the late 1800s, when our building housed a medical school, it was common for students to turn into 'Resurrection Men,' who would steal bodies from graves for examination. Sip on that bit of history with your next Executive Old Fashioned."
1,175 likes.
Fall Seasonal:"That autumn chill is in the air, so we've conjured up new seasonal elixirs to stir your senses and warm you to the bone. Don't miss our new cocktail menu — available now!"
[Social post visuals below]
Email Campaigns
Holiday Cocktail Launch:"Naughty and Nice Cocktails Launch Tomorrow."We're serving up holiday spirits all season long.
"Take a break from the holiday madness and step into Christmas with the perfect tipple in hand. Our curated collection of holiday cocktails will have you jingling all the way through the new year."
[Email visual below]
Brand VP: Kristi Neville // Strategy: Chris McNeely // CD: Jonathan Vessely // Web Design: Emily Lee