Famous Grouse on the power of sports partnerships
Blended Scotch whisky brand The Famous Grouse has unveiled a video series starring Line of Duty actor Martin Compston ahead of the Scotland-England Six Nations rugby match on Saturday (14 February).
Many spirits brands have recently cottoned on to the connective power that sport has with fans, but The Famous Grouse has partnered with Scottish Rugby for 35 years.
Its most recent campaign, ‘The Get Together’, features a video in which Compston and his friends take plans from their group chat to the pub, cheering on the team over a Famous Grouse & Ginger Highball.
Compston: “Acting takes me all over the world, which makes it harder to make plans with mates, especially when you’re far away from the people you grew up with. The laughs, social rituals and time together really matter, which is why The Famous Grouse’s ‘Get Together’ series – celebrating those moments friends still show up for, like a rugby matchday – feels so personal to me.”
The series is the latest initiative in the brand’s long-standing partnership with Scottish Rugby and explores the way sport acts as ‘social glue’ for friends, particularly on match days.
The brand’s marketing manager Karen Daly said: “A long‑standing partnership like The Famous Grouse and Scottish Rugby carries real hearts and minds because of its history, and we believe it has truly influenced how Scottish consumers perceive the brand.” The partnership began in 1990 and spans club rugby to the women’s and men’s international sides.
“When a partnership has a long‑term vision and is communicated consistently, it naturally builds connection. Showing up year after year builds trust and authenticity, and the association shifts from a functional to an emotional connection.”
The Six Nations tournament is one of the biggest occasions in the rugby calendar – arguably the biggest when it isn’t a World Cup year – and Daly feels it’s imperative for the brand to “show up in moments that matter”.
“That means being present not just during the match itself, but around the rituals and traditions of game day. It helps us build on the partnership authentically and in a way that reflects what’s meaningful to both the brand and Scottish Rugby,” she says.
The Famous Grouse launched The Get Together after carrying out research in January 2026 that revealed more than half of the 1,000 adult Brits surveyed spend less than 80 minutes a week with their closest friends.
However, when friends do make the time to see each other, live sport was found to be the leading instigator. The report found that moods are boosted within a minute of friends meeting up.
“It celebrates real moments of connection, from opposing fans coming together over their shared enjoyment for a Grouse & Ginger, to friends sticking to their no‑phones ritual so they can be fully present in the moment,” Daly notes of the campaign.
“In the coming weeks, we will also be sharing content across our social channels featuring Scottish rugby players telling their own stories of connection.”
Daly adds that the message is “all about celebrating the spirit of connection that sits at the heart of The Famous Grouse”.
“The brand has always stood for bringing people together, and this content series was created to lean into that, especially around the shared energy of match days. We wanted to spotlight the stories, rituals and moments that happen when fans come together – pre, during and post-match – and inspire others to do the same.”
Long-term brand building
The Famous Grouse is thinking beyond the field in terms of how it engages with sports and fans.
“Our Scottish Rugby partnership gives us the opportunity to do far more than simply sponsor the sport,” Daly says, explaining: “It gives us the opportunity to genuinely excite both our customers and consumers. For fans, we recently ran our ‘Time to Win’ Instagram prize draw, inviting people to share their own stories for the chance to enjoy a money‑can’t‑buy experience for themselves and two friends at Scotland v England [this Saturday at Murrayfield].
“For the trade, we’ve activated bundle deals in RTM that enter customers into ticket prize draws when they purchase specific Famous Grouse packages.”
Daly says the partnership has evolved from just a sports sponsorship into a platform that is more culture-led. “It’s still a sports partnership at heart, but now it resonates far beyond the pitch,” she says.
“We’ve broadened it into a platform that taps into storytelling, humour and shared moments. By leaning into our ethos of togetherness and bringing in Martin Compston as our hero talent, we’re able to express that in a playful, unmistakably Famous Grouse way“.
Regarding the campaign’s long‑term value, Daly adds that it is “rooted in building genuine connections with consumers, rather than just generating exposure”.
She says: “The Famous Grouse is built on togetherness and the sharing of stories, so it’s important that the work we do reflects those sentiments. They’re the foundations of long‑term brand building and this campaign helps reinforce them in a way that feels authentic and lasting.”
The Famous Grouse was the number one whisky in Scotland, and number one in the UK by volume, according to Nielsen data from 2025.
William Grant & Sons bought the brand in 2025 after it was sold by Edrington alongside fellow blended whisky brand Naked Malt.
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