Wondering where we go from here seems to be a shared concern on many of our minds, yet for Glenfiddich, it’s a question that defines the brand’s ethos: Asking “Where next?” is how the distillery strives to maintain its reputation as “the world’s most awarded Single Malt Scotch Whisky”.
The message behind the global campaign is bigger than just the annus horribilis, as it reimagines the brand’s stag icon as a symbol of the challenging journey of growth and a way to explore the ideas of rebirth and renewal.
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The work has been created by London based creative agency Space and sees Glenfiddich unite all markets and communications behind the new idea, which aims to grow top of mind awareness and market share in an increasingly competitive and growing category.
Every year a stag loses its antlers, leaving it potentially vulnerable but also, every year the antlers return, stronger than before.
The 30-second film opens in documentary style, with the stag in its natural Highland habitat, telling us that every year it sheds its antlers, and during this time it faces uncertainty. In its newly exposed state, it ventures into a threatening and unknown cityscape.
For the stag, it is fraught with danger, but we are told that only by embracing the unknown can it grow stronger.
The stag returns to its mountain top with a new set of antlers, to the closing words that ‘reaching the top is just the beginning’, inspiring us all to step out of our comfort zone and ask ourselves, Where Next?
This natural cycle is a beautifully apt metaphor for the continual need for the brand – for everyone – to let down its armour and embrace risk in order to grow stronger, and constantly achieve.
Produced by Independent Films and The Mill, the campaign has been initially rolling out across India, China, Australia, Taiwan, Korea and the USA, the “Where Next?” campaign will have its European launch, including in the UK, in the first quarter of 2021.
Space has worked with Glenfiddich for four years, developing global brand comms and campaigns including the Experimental Series and the 2018 Challengers Welcome campaign in emerging markets.
Claudia Falcone, Glenfiddich global brand director at William Grant & Sons, said: “We are excited to launch this bold new direction and a unified single creative proposition for Glenfiddich across the world. We worked closely with Space to understand the mindset of our customers and what it is that makes them – and us – stand out from the crowd.
“The idea is about challenging yourself. It’s incredibly important not to rest on your achievements and to always look to what comes next, a way of thinking driven our brand’s success. That’s the idea behind this campaign – that a stag is proud and masterful but must embrace is own vulnerability with the annual loss of its antlers before it grows stronger still.”
Greg McAlinden, executive creative director at Space, adds: “From William Grant & Sons’ first distillery to increasing production during Prohibition, to defining the single malt whisky category as we know it today, Glenfiddich has innovated by continually going out on its own. This was the perfect opportunity to reintroduce the brand’s stag icon as a symbol of that mindset and a reminder of the need to shed our armour in order to grow.
“We wanted to draw on the brand’s rich history but look to the future, to capture both in a story of the stag for the here and now – iconic and powerful but also connecting with its fear and trepidation. And setting this against the epic Highland backdrop and the modern city – both very much a part of the brand – creates a beautiful image.
For moreinfomation on Glenfiddich, go to glenfiddich.com
