London based experiential design studio, FDDS was commissioned to design the experiences and interiors of three rooms of the newly refurbished Strathisla Distillery – the oldest continuously working distillery in Scotland and home of Chivas Regal whisky. FDDS worked closely with Chivas Regal, from the creative team to the Master blenders, to deliver a custom experience and the interior around it. As a whisky enthusiast, or a newcomer, the Strathisla tour was a sensory experience, both memorable and informative.

After learning about the process to make Strathisla single malt whiskies, guests were guided to the Tasting Room. They were invited to take seats around the whisky expert who guided them through the tasting of 3 scotch whiskies: Chivas 12, Chivas Extra and Chivas 18. The room featured a specially created artwork, The Constellation, made of suspended, mouth-blown, amber glass bubbles. As the expert deconstructed the several flavours of each whisky, the sculpture animated itself to represent the complex network of flavours.

Florian Dussopt, FDDS Founder, commented “It is interesting to notice that if the whiskies do share certain keynotes, most of them are different. It is not always easy to distinguish all the characteristics without the skills of the Master Blenders, but there are no wrong answers. Each perception is unique and personal.”

“By giving the time to reflect and discuss, the tasting ritual of the Constellation Room aims to open the door to memories that the senses of smell and taste can uniquely bring back.”

The Blending Room then offered an exclusive practical experience: an opportunity for guests to appreciate the intricacy of combining malt and grain whiskies to create a superior blended whisky. Guests could sample, analyse and ultimately blend their own whisky under the guidance of the house expert with each combination labelled to be gifted.

The creative studio also designed and fabricated the 5m long brass chandelier, to accompany the story within the details.

Finally, The Lounge, an angluar room enveloped by strong and graphic brass arches with historical bottles on display, provided guests with a place to seat and relax around a whisky dram.

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Glenfiddich is launching a new campaign to promote Fire & Cane, the fourth and latest release in the Glenfiddich “Experimental Series”. The campaign broke on July 23rd 2018 in the USA, with sampling and experiential activations at the Taste of the Cocktails event in New Orleans, and will roll out in other lead markets later in the year – including France in September, the UK in October and Taiwan in 2019

The campaign is part of the William Grant & Sons-owned brand’s continued drive to recruit new drinkers into the whisky category.

The New Orleans tasting saw the whisky paired with grilled andouille (local Cajun sausage), grits, peppers and cream cheese.

The campaign was put together for Glenfiddich by London-based creative agency Space, which has been awarded the lead strategic and creative responsibilities for launching the next edition in the Experimental Series. The campaign brings to life the brand’s maverick spirit and focuses on the power of a simple question and how it can lead consumers on a journey to challenge conventions.

The newest expression in the Experimental Series is an unexpected peated whisky finished in Latin rum casks.

The campaign will be predominantly social, and kicks off with a 5-second teaser video. It will also feature short-form AV assets, Out of Home, print, interactive social assets such as Facebook canvases and Instagram polls, as well as experiential and sampling, all created by Space.

Campaign visuals centre on the liquid’s unique flavour profile. The hero 20” social video features animated CGI sugar crystals and innovative liquid photography showcasing the smokiness and sweetness of Fire & Cane. It runs in reverse order, opening with the product beauty shot (the outcome of the experiment), and closing with the moment of inspiration (the genesis of the experiment).  The core message is that when you question convention, as Glenfiddich has with Fire and Cane, you can spark the unexpected.

Oliver Rudgard, Global Brand Director at Glenfiddich, says: “Fire & Cane is #4 in the Glenfiddich Experimental Series.  The Experimental Series demonstrates our continued commitment to create new, innovative and inspiring whiskies.  Working with the great team at Space, we have pushed the creative boundaries further to create a set of new codes in the single malt category which are set to create cut through, attention and desire for the Fire & Cane launch across the globe.”

Jason Nicholas, Managing Partner at Space, adds: “The Experimental Series offers the chance to continually work on something that challenges a category. The creative idea in this campaign has led to the creation of a beautifully crafted and visceral campaign that will get under the skin of new drinkers and whisky advocates alike. Working with Glenfiddich on this their key campaign for 2018 has been a great opportunity and led to a campaign we’re really proud of.”

Glenfiddich most recently collaborated with Space to launch its first whisky finished in India Pale Ale (IPA) casks. This was backed by a global TV campaign, also created by Space.

Space is an award-winning integrated marketing agency which works across social, mobile, outdoor, in store, on-pack, in print, live or virtually. Clients include Heineken, Arla Foods, William Grant & Sons, General Mills, Eurostar, Sky, Coral, Bundesliga, UEFA, NBA and AELTC. Our work has been globally recognised with four ‘best in the world’ awards

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Scotch whisky Glenmorangie is celebrating the Golden Age of American whiskey this March with Spice & Rye, a Speakeasy-style cocktail bar in the heart of Fitzrovia, London.

The creation of the spice-inspired, roaring 1920s-style temporary bar marks the launch of Glenmorangie Spìos, the ninth release in the Highland single malt’s explorative Private Edition range.

Glenmorangie Spìos (Gaelic for ‘spice’ and pronounced ‘spee-oss’) is the first ever single malt Scotch that has been entirely aged in American ex-rye whiskey casks. .

Situated on Percy Street in London, Spice & Rye takes visitors through a series of sensory spice and cocktail moments, surrounded by Art-Deco style décor and furnishings.

Guests enter the bar via an apothecary-style spice shop, where they are greeted by a mysterious spice seller offering an array of exotic foods. They continue their journey by stepping through a hidden entrance in the shop, down a secret passageway to a lively 1920s-style space, filled with bartenders telling entertaining tales, wisecracking hosts and a swinging jazz band.

At the bar, consumers will be invited to choose from an array of delectable bespoke drinks, including:

• High & Rye: made with Glenmorangie The Original, ginger, pineapple, topped off with rye beer.
• Bloodstone: a twist on the classic Blood & Sand, made with coffee infused Glenmorangie The Quinta Ruban, Rubino and Cocchi Torino
• Chapel St Sour: a blend of Glenmorange Nectar D’Or, Rinquinquin, lemon and toasted coriander seed.

For those wanting to explore Glenmorangie’s range of award-winning whiskies, tasting flights and drams will be available. These include whiskies finished in a range of bespoke casks: Sauternes (Glenmorangie Nectar D’Or), Sherry (Glenmorangie Lasanta) and Port (Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban) and the new Glenmorangie Spìos.

Although it was the original whiskey used to create some of the world’s most renowned cocktails in the 1920s, American rye then fell out of favour as Scotch became more popular. Now, with the resurgence of interest in rye whiskey, Spice & Rye showcases the coming together of cultures – one of Scotland’s most celebrated single malts and America’s iconic dark spirit.

Spice & Rye is open from March 20th to 24th March. Guests can book online at www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/spice-rye-speakeasy-tickets-43130979922

The term whisky or whiskey is an Anglicisation of the Gaelic word uisce (Irish) or uisge (Scottish), which means ‘water’. Scotch whisky, and that made in many other countries around the world, is spelt without an ‘e’. Most, but not all, American and Irish whiskeys use they ‘ey’ spelling. Aged in wood casks, the flavour of a whisky or whiskey can be altered by what (if anything) the casks have previously been used for.

Bottled at 46% ABV, and non-chill filtered for extra body and texture, Glenmorangie Spìos is available from specialist whisky shops worldwide, priced at £79.

The Glenmorangie brand is owned by international luxury goods group, LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy).

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Independent Scotch whisky distiller Loch Lomond Group has signed a five-year partnership deal with The Open, golf’s original championship, for its Loch Lomond Whiskies brand.

The partnership with tournament organisers The R&A includes support of the Ricoh Women’s British Open and will allow the distiller to showcase globally the full range of Loch Lomond Whiskies. It also means the distiller’s innovative and exciting range of single malts will become “The Spirit of The Open”.

The Open is the most international of the major golf championships with qualifying events across five continents. The Championship is also broadcast to 600 million households in almost 200 countries around the world.

Muriel Raguenaud, Marketing Director for Loch Lomond Group, says: “The partnership will encompass a year round programme of events both in the UK and international markets for whisky and golf fans. Some promotional activity will happen both on- and off-premises. In particular, at The Open itself, there will be a Loch Lomond Whiskies area where spectators will be able to sample our range of single malts and discover their versatility. Loch Lomond Whiskies will be the exclusive whisky poured at The Open and there will be a selection of limited edition products for sale.”

A range of in-outlet activations and Point Of Sale activities are also planned to capitalise on Loch Lomond’s partnership with The Open and the Ricoh Women’s British Open, both in the UK and in international markets. This could see consumers being offered the chance to win tickets to attend this year’s Open at Carnoustie.

Loch Lomond Whiskies will also use the partnership with The Open as a platform to create a variety of limited editions, aimed at both golf fans and whisky aficionados. The first limited editions will be released this summer and will cover a wide price range of whiskies, from tasting packs to rare vintages. There will probably be a limited edition to celebrate each Open championship.

Whisky and golf are recognised as being among Scotland’s most famous products and consumer studies suggest that there is a close affinity between the two industries, with many golf fans also demonstrating a passion for Scotch.

Founded in 1814, Loch Lomond Whiskies can trace its roots back to the Littlemill distillery, which was established in 1772 and which is thought to be one of the oldest in the world. Its current malt and grain distilleries, in Alexandria, Dunbartonshire on the banks of Loch Lomond, were built in the 1960s and are among only a few in the industry to maintain an onsite cooperage. The malt distillery at Alexandria also features a unique combination of traditional swan neck and distinctive straight-necked pot stills, enabling it to produce a diverse range of flavour profiles.

Colin Matthews, CEO of Loch Lomond Group, took ownership of the business with the backing of London based Exponent Private Equity in March 2014. Since then, the group has expanded its product range significantly, made major capital investments in its distilleries, maturation infrastructure and bottling operations and has achieved strong international growth. Its brands are now present in over 125 countries around the world.

Colin Matthews, CEO of Loch Lomond Group, observes: “We are extremely proud to have agreed this prestigious partnership and association with The R&A for The Open and the Ricoh Women’s British Open. There is an incredibly strong alignment between the worlds of whisky and golf, two of Scotland’s most iconic gifts to the world. There is also a great fit between those who follow golf and whisky, with research showing clearly that many golfers across the world enjoy a regular dram.”

Matthews adds: “Our partnership with The R&A is the perfect means for Loch Lomond Whiskies to use the fabulous platforms of both championships to grow further, both in the UK and internationally, and it also demonstrates our strong commitment and ambition to becoming a premium global brand.”

Loch Lomond Whiskies’ partnership with The Open is effective immediately and runs until 2022. The five-year period includes the playing of the landmark 150th Open in 2021 at St Andrews, the home of golf. The 147th Open takes place at Carnoustie from 15-22 July 2018.

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As part of the latest version of its Stay Smooth campaign, Whyte & Mackay whisky is taking a “wry and witty look at the real folk of both Glasgow and Edinburgh” that have helped shape the brand’s smooth taste and character, and is again working with award-winning Scottish photographer, David Boni.

The campaign, which launched earlier this month, sees the creation of a series of quirky and fun posters of real people and a coffee-table magazine, which will be distributed on streets and in key bars across both cities, plus new POS kits and promotional scratch cards for the on trade. There is also an instant win competition with 5,000 free drams as prizes and a text to win competition with the star prize of the chance for one fan to create their own whisky.

The magazine and accompanying poster campaign feature innovative AR technology, bringing to life four of the featured characters.  The campaign will also see a number of giant static mirrors located in selected bars and prime outdoor street spots in each city, providing people with a glimpse of their own reflection and reminding them to ‘Stay Smooth’. Whyte & Mackay is promoting the activity via social media including Twitter.

Whyte & Mackay mirrors and the accompanying poster campaign will be running in city centre locations, with the magazines and on-trade promotion kits available in nearly 100 bars across Glasgow and Edinburgh.

To enter the competition, people have to buy a Whyte & Mackay at a participating outlet and text in to tell the brand what makes them Surprisingly Smooth in 10 words or less. The most original entry, as judged by Whyte & Mackay, will win.

The star prize includes return train travel to Glasgow from any UK mainland railway station for two people, one night’s accommodation, £250 spending money and a whisky blending and tasting session.

For the ‘instant Win’ promotion, people will get scratchcards when they buy a whisky at participating venues – the prizes come in the form of vouchers to be redeemed for a single measure of Whyte & Mackay Scotch Whisky.

The Scotch whisky brand also announced earlier this month that it will be the new headline sponsor of Glasgow’s International Comedy Festival for 2018. The long-running festival will from next year be known as the Whyte & Mackay Glasgow International Comedy Festival. Big names from the stand-up comedy world including David Baddiel, Bridget Christie, Des Clarke, Tommy Tiernan, Katherine Ryan and Rob Delaney have already been signed up to feature in 2018.

Finally, Whyte & Mackay is also running a trade promotion offering retailers or bar owners who buy any mix of three cases of brands including Claymore, Vladivar, Whyte & Mackay, Glayva, Tamnavulin or Jura in one transaction the chance to enter a competition to win a Peugeot van and £500 of Whyte & Mackay stock. At least two of the cases must be of price marked packs. The trade promotion is running until the end of January 2018 at participating cash & carry depots.

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Premium blended Scotch whisky brand Chivas Regal is again collaborating with high-end Danish consumer electronics company Bang & Olufsen to ‘amplify’ off-trade sales.

The on­pack promotion, which is running on bottles of Chivas Regal 12 Year Old, offers consumers the chance to win one of 10 £10,000 vouchers to spend on Bang & Olufsen’s audio and video products.

Additionally, a Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay S3 speaker will be awarded as a prize each week for the 18 weeks of the promotion until the campaign ends.

The promotion is running until June 4^th 2017. To participate, consumers have to buy a bottle with the promotional outer wrapper, go online to www.chivaspromotion.com, enter the unique code found on the sleeve then provide a range of personal information including a valid e-mail address and phone number.

There is a No Purchase Necessary route for Northern Irish consumers.

Prizes will be randomly allocated via a ‘winning moments’ mechanism. Winners will be sent a ‘Special Redemption’ envelope and will have to return this with till receipt (which must predate their entry), proof of age and confirmation of their address.

Magin Trewhella, head of marketing (Dark Spirits) at Pernod Ricard UK, says: “With our shared commitment to creating high­quality, luxury products, we believe that this is the perfect partnership that allows consumers to enjoy a dram in the comfort of their own home with great entertainment to accompany.”

Chivas Regal and Bang & Olufsen ran an almost identical promotion a year ago.

The Chivas Regal brand is owned by Pernod Ricard. The brand sells 4.6 million 9L cases annually in more than 150 countries across the globe.

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Drinks company Maxxium UK is launching a new campaign for The Famous Grouse, the UK’s number one selling blended whisky, which include a brand new TV ad, a media partnership with the Guardian and a personalised label offer.

The Famous For A Reason campaign celebrates fame that has been earned and not sought and according to Maxxium is firmly grounded in the brand’s heritage and the principles of its founder, Matthew Gloag, who believed in only using the very best ingredients for his whisky.

The TV ad, created by AMV BBDO, airs until 27th December, reaching an audience of 32 million. Designed to launch the campaign and strengthen the brand’s premium position, the ad tells the story of Matthew Gloag’s competitors and their reaction to his high-quality ‘Grouse brand’ whisky created in the 1800s, which soon became famous for its quality and was renamed The Famous Grouse.

The brand will also partner with The Guardian to inspire readers with stories of pioneers from the world of music, technology and sport. This partnership will feature Ralf Baer, famous for building the first home video game console; Dave Godwin, famous for spreading the love of Northern soul music; Emile Berliner, famous for being the first person to record music to a disc; and Charlie Miller, famous for bringing the game of football to Brazil.

The campaign will activate across the Guardian’s digital platforms, with a reach of 12 million. The partnership was brokered and executed by Newcast, part of ZenithOptimedia. It will be further supplemented by a digital campaign delivering over 7.3M impressions across Audience on Demand, You Tube, 4 On Demand and Facebook.

In addition, Maxxium is partnering with Selfridges to run an exclusive in-store personalisation campaign in its London, Manchester and Birmingham stores from November for eight weeks. Selfridges customers purchasing a bottle of The Famous Grouse will have the option to request their very own personalised front and back labels which will be printed live in store.

Consumers will also be able to visit thefamousgrouse.com to order their own personalised bottle direct from the website.

John Penman, marketing controller, The Famous Grouse, says: “The Famous for a Reason campaign aims to build on the iconic advertising of the past, driving real meaning and sharing the authenticity of The Famous Grouse brand. It provides us with a strong platform for future growth. We’ve also placed more of an emphasis on digital content in this new campaign, ensuring we remain relevant to today’s whisky consumers. Each piece of content that we have developed and activity we have planned is designed to communicate the campaign message, reminding us that true fame is earned.”

The campaign follows the launch of a new look portfolio for The Famous Grouse, which includes a repack of The Famous Grouse, a rebrand of The Black Grouse to The Famous Grouse Smoky Black, and the introduction of a new premium expression into the portfolio, The Famous Grouse Mellow Gold.

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