A creative month for the industry saw Bombay Sapphire “challenge conventions of taste” with a new event series and Glenfiddich explore “the extremes of human intellect” in advertising.

Glenfiddich stars in our pick of the top 10 marketing campaigns in October 2016

Continuing an artful flourish, Campari announced actor Clive Owen as the face behind Campari Red Diaries 2017 – a series of short films centred on the ethos that “every cocktail tells a story” – and Diageo unveiled a TV advertisement for Haig Club Clubman, starring David Beckham.

Meanwhile, The Famous Grouse released two TV adverts as part of a wider Christmas campaign, and Diageo Reserve kicked off its search for a spirits lover to explore five countries and create the “ultimate drinks list”.

Click through to the following pages for the top 10 marketing campaigns launched in October 2016.

Bombay Sapphire

Bombay Sapphire has launched ‘The Grand Journey’, a series of experimental taste and sensory events inspired by the 10 ‘botanical locations’ used to create its gin.

Created by the House of Bombay and event company The Robin Collective, the six-city tour will take place from October to December 2016 and aims to “re-invent and challenge conventions of taste”. The 10 ‘botanical locations’ include Antwerp, London, Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin and Amsterdam.

The one-hour experience will include short theatrical performances and is hosted by a train guard who explores each botanical location to reveal a different flavour and tell a new story.

Campari

Campari has announced actor Clive Owen as the face behind Campari Red Diaries 2017, a series of short films centred on the ethos that “every cocktail tells a story”.

Departing from its classic calendar format, Campari Red Diaries uses film for the first time to guide viewers through a year-long series of cocktail stories from across the globe.

The series includes 12 stories from 14 bartenders located around the world. The lead story in the series, Killer in Red, was directed by filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino and stars Clive Owen.

Owen said: “I was honoured to be part of the campaign, particularly since this year represents the brand’s first foray into film.”

The series will be released exclusively on Campari’s YouTube channel.

Haig Club

Diageo has unveiled a TV advertisement for Clubman, Haig Club’s first line extension, starring David Beckham.
Entitled ‘Make your own rules’, the TV ad aims to “redefine” the “stereotypical expectations” of when, where and how people should enjoy whisky.

A narrative of “conventional rules” around drinking whisky is juxtaposed against lively visual montages of friends at a party.

In the advert Beckham is shown playing cards with friends, and then later drinking Haig Club Clubman with cola – the whisky’s suggested serve.

Beckham said: “The advert feels really special as it’s different to what you would expect from a whisky, especially one with so much heritage behind it.

“We want to highlight that there is no right or wrong way to enjoy whisky, as long as you enjoy it.”

Jack Daniel’s

Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey is set to present its 12th annual ‘Art, Beats and Lyrics’, a national art and music tour, with plans to expand to include more cities in the US.

Launched in 2004 as a local art show in Atlanta, ‘Art, Beats and Lyrics’ was born from an “affinity for urban art and hip-hop culture”.

The tour was created to provide a platform for up-and-coming visual artists and hip-hop acts to gain exposure.
The tour returns to Charlotte, North Carolina, and Birmingham, Atlanta, in the US, and will take in new cities, including New York and Chicago, for the first time.

Guests can enjoy interactive visual art installations, performances from top hip-hop acts and Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey cocktails.

Over the years, the tour has featured works from global artists, such as Miya Bailey and Frank Morrison.
Recurring hip-hop headliners throughout the years have included Scarface, Twista, Mystikal and more.
‘Art, Beats and Lyrics’ began its 2016-17 tour in Charlotte, and will travel to Atlanta, New York, Chicago and Miami during December.

Louis XIII

Louis XIII has created a pop-up in London’s Burlington Arcade to celebrate Louis XIII’s L’Odyssée d’Un Roi, a “one-of-a-kind” creation developed with French luxury houses Hermes, Saint-Louis and Puiforcat.

Open to the public, the space allows visitors to be “immersed into the brand” and learn more about Cognac.

Inspired by the first shipments of Louis XIII in the late 1870s, the collection features an entirely hand-stitched leather trunk, three white gold pipettes and Louis XIII’s Cognac blend in a hand-engraved crystal magnum decanter and glasses.

The pop-up is the last opportunity to view the release before it heads to Sotheby’s to be auctioned on 17 November. All proceeds will go to Martin Scorsese’s The Film Foundation.

The Famous Grouse

The Famous Grouse has released two TV adverts as part of a wider Christmas campaign valued at more than £2 million (about US$2.4m).

The ads will focus on two brand messages – “perfectly balanced” and “smooth” – in the run-up to Christmas.
Distributor Maxxium UK announced the “largest ever” Christmas investment by the brand, which is set to reach more than 40 million adults from October to December.

The UK-wide campaign will feature in 3,000 bus shelters and 400 supermarkets across key cities, investing in out-of- home media for two weeks from launch and then again in December.

Johna Penman, marketing controller for The Famous Grouse, said: “Christmas is always a key season for The Famous Grouse but this year will be even bigger and better.”

Diageo Reserve

Diageo Reserve is searching for a spirits lover to star in new travel show World Class List, exploring five countries over two months in a bid to create the “ultimate drinks list”.

The team behind World Class is seeking someone to uncover the “best drinks in the world”, inspired by the places they visit and experiences they have, guided by World Class bartenders.

The journey aims to inspire people to “drink better and create unforgettable experiences in the process”.

Johanna Dalley, World Class global director, said: “We want a fun individual to travel the world, with the aim of showcasing bartender talent and selecting the best drinks out there. World Class List will inspire consumers to get out into the industry and try amazing drinks on offer in bars all over the world, or to up their game and have a go at making them at home.”

Glenfiddich

Glenfiddich is aiming to explore “the extremes of human intellect” with a global advertisement for its new single malt range, Glenfiddich Experimental Series.

The 60-second film supports the Glenfiddich IPA Experiment – the first bottling in the series and said to be the world’s first single malt whisky finished in India Pale Ale (IPA) casks.

The film “explores the extremes of human intellect” by showing how mastering an art “allows an individual the freedom to truly experiment”.

By using “stark” imagery, a “bold” visual style and an “intense” rhythmic soundtrack, the advert aims to portray how the Scotch whisky brand is “re-writing the whisky rulebook” with its new range.

Malibu

As part of its #BecauseSummer campaign, Pernod Ricard’s Malibu has partnered with music artist Kygo to develop a new ‘Coco-nect’ cup that communicates with bar staff to re-order drinks.

Kygo will be teaming up with Malibu at music events and venues around the world as well as featuring the brand in the music video for his new single Carry Me.

The Coco-nect cup is designed to enable club and festival goers’ to have their drinks delivered directly to them.

Using WiFi and RFID technology, the Coco-nect cups send signals to bar staff every time a fresh drink is required.

All customers have to do to place their order is twist the base of the coconut-shaped vessel, and the drink will be prepared and delivered straight to them.

The Malibu Coco-nect cup is set to launch in clubs, bars and festivals in summer 2017.

Chambord

Raspberry liqueur brand Chambord has unveiled a pop-up at South Place Hotel’s Secret Garden in London.

Following Chambord’s ‘The Chapter Eight Games’ this summer, the brand has unveiled a new pop-up, ‘Le Jardin de Chambord’. Guests can enjoy a menu of Chambord cocktails such as the Chambord Royale, French Martini, and a new Club Chambord creation.

Chambord-infused sweets have also been specially crafted by the hotel’s executive chef, Gary Foulkes, to pair with the serves. These include dark chocolate truffles filled with a rich chocolate ganache and seasoned with Chambord, and macaroons filled with crème de mure cream.

Le Jardin de Chambord is open every Friday to Monday from 6pm until the end of the month.