Jägermeister has hired Opperman Weiss as lead global creative agency as the brand embarks on a new heritage campaign for next year.

Opperman Weiss was selected based on prior relationships it had with the spirits brand, said Jeff Weiss, co-founder of the shop. There was no formal review, and Jägermeister did not previously have an agency leading creative on a global basis.

In 2014, Jägermeister hired Deutsch New York for creative in the U.S., following an internally managed review. "We wish them every success as they continue defining the brand," said a Deutsch spokesperson.

Jeff Popkin, CEO of Sidney Frank, which imports Jägermeister, said Opperman Weiss was able to "connect with and immediately look into the brand and articulate the story that has yet to be told" about Jägermeister.

The initiative will focus on telling Jägermeister's brand story "in a fun, spirited way," particularly about its fifth generation recipe that consists of 56 ingredients from "high-quality sources all over the world," said Mr. Popkin. He added that the campaign aims to "reintroduce Jägermeister to current consumers and introduce it to a new generation of consumers who will be surprised by the level of detail and meticulous planning that goes into the brand."

However, Jägermeister is not looking to push away its party image, said Mr. Popkin, who added that the brand was built in North America on "Jager bombs." He said Jager bombs give Jägermeister shallow roots among consumers that tend to become just a fad, and the brand wants to create roots "that grow deep and for the long-term."

Mr. Weiss said the initiative is hoping to connect with the current generation that "longs for realness and authenticity" in a world filled with technology.

Some elements of the upcoming rebrand campaign will begin showing in Europe and in select markets of the U.S. in the fourth quarter of this year. It will roll out nationally in the first quarter of 2017, followed by Canada. This is Jägermeister's first national brand campaign in five years, said Mr. Popkin.

In preparation of the campaign, which will include TV, experiential, out-of-home, digital, mobile and influencer marketing, Jägermeister has been doing research with consumer focus groups to see how they perceive the brand today, said Mr. Popkin.

Jägermeister spent about $5.6 million on U.S. measured media in the first nine months of 2013, and Mr. Popkin said the current spend is "easily double that."

Some of New York-based Opperman Weiss' other spirits clients include Tullamore Dew, Drambuie and Tequila Avion. The agency also works with Chobani and La Colombe Coffee.