GLENFIDDICH, WHERE NEXT?
With a history of category-defining leadership, Glenfiddich has continually challenged expectations, to innovate, to break new ground and establish new practices in single malt whisky that others now follow.
From increasing production during the probation to innovating bottle design and becoming the first single malt to be advertised outside of Scotland - Glenfiddich is a brand synonymous with breaking new ground.
We sought to communicate this pioneering spirit and growth through risk mindset immediately landing on the perfect metaphor of which to do so – stags shed their antlers every year in order to grow stronger ones. The fact that this was centred around the story of the stag, their brand icon, meant it was also extremely ownable, allowing us to communicate key messages through this protagonist that viewers would connect with far more than any person.
The Objectives
We sought to arrive at an idea that would unify across all levels of the business, in a market where legacy is continually romanticised, the objective was to remain true to the brand’s roots whilst creating a multi-media campaign that would appeal to a younger, ambitious audience.
The question was posed: how do you stand out in a crowded category without losing site of where you came from? How can we embrace the unknown?
The Strategy
The key to success is aligning with an entrepreneurial target audience looking for opportunities for personal growth in an incredibly uncertain world. The work was preceded by an extensive global research project, interviewing “mavericks” around the world and getting to the heart of what drives them.
The most successful of our participants were those who held growth as a fundamental value. They weren’t afraid to challenge their status quo and let themselves be exposed. This status quo might have been ‘stable’ jobs, approval from family and friends, religious upbringings or political stances. While these things may seem unshakable to some, they proved challengeable to our maverick respondents.
At the heart of the brand and consumer was the belief that growth and progress comes from being willing to take risks.
The ‘WHERE NEXT?’ campaign reimagines the brand’s traditional iconography in a new context, with epic landscapes paired with a clean, uncluttered look and feel. Collaborating with The Mill, the stag marks a modernisation of Glenfiddich’s heritage, forming a key asset for the entire campaign to be built around.
Every year a stag loses its antlers leaving it vulnerable, but every year the antlers return, stronger than before. This natural cycle is a beautifully apt metaphor for the continual need for the brand – for everyone – to let down their guard and embrace the new.
Production / Execution
The film was directed by Phillipe André through Independent films, with CGI and post-production by The Mill.
Having initially discussed the option to film and photograph a real stag, we soon dismissed this due to the unpredictability and difficulties that we could face. Collaborating with The Mill, a CGI route was taken, with initial research leaning towards Highland stags and their movements. The stag was built from the inside out – bone, muscle, skin and hair – for completely authentic movement.
The film opens in a documentary style, the stag in its natural Highland habitat and a clear icon of the brand, ‘The Valley’. We instantly learnt that each year it sheds its antlers and, in the process, must face uncertainty and risk.
In its newly exposed state, the stag ventures into the threatening unknown and cold cityscape – a stunning contrast to the warm but misty glen. The city is fraught with danger, but we are told that only by embracing the unknown can it grow stronger. The stag, following its journey into a new world, returns to the glen, antlers regrowing with every step. Reaching the mountain top with its new, stronger set of antlers we close with the words: ‘reaching the top is just the beginning’, inspiring us all to step out of our comfort zones like the stag and ask ourselves, Where Next?
We shot on location in the Isle of Skye for the valley shots and Canary Wharf for the city shots, using a taxidermy stag for scale, placement and lighting references, in order to integrate our CGI stag seamlessly.
A Toolkit for ‘Modern Luxury’
To capture a new generation of younger single malt drinkers, we aimed to convey a ‘modern luxury’ feel throughout the entire campaign, which was further emphasised via the print art direction. We researched and borrowed cues found in luxury advertising such as perfume and fashion - specifically, clean simplicity, framing and the use of white space to help elevate our visuals and convey a premium feel.
The stag, our hero asset, is majestic and striking. We made the call to bend the truth when it came to the realism of the stag’s eyes, this was to ensure it connected with those viewing the ads as stags typically look sideways on and look boss-eyed front on.
The antlers, a key part of our story, are seen breaking out of the frame and overlapping the white space to emphasise the strength and power of the stag in this rejuvenated state, something we further emphasised in special build formats, where we built the antlers out of the media space in 3D. Other elements included the landscape photography backdrops – with an ethereal and fantastical feel, although real and shot on location in the Isle of Skye and Canary Wharf with talented photographer Dan Burn-Forti. With every element intricately considered and scrutinised, we even incorporated the product into select executions by perfectly lining up the ‘V’ shape (on the newly designed bottle), with the valley in the landscape behind.
A final toolkit was shared and activated globally, including TV, film, OOH, special build, print and digital across social platforms. The work was initially rolled out across India, China, Australia, Taiwan, Korea and the USA – a massive marketing project to create a bold new direction for the brand. The work will see its pan-European launch, including the UK, in Q3/4 of 2021.
