Diageo has released details of a fashion-focussed marketing push for Islay single malt scotch whisky brand Lagavulin in the US.
The Johnnie Walker, Guinness & Baileys brand owner has partnered with New York-based menswear brand Todd Snyder and actor Ben Ahlers for the campaign, titled ‘Time & Craft’. Ahlers stars in an advert (below), which has been shared on Lagavulin’s social media pages.
In what Diageo described as “the first chapter of the Todd Snyder New York x Lagavulin partnership”, the trio this week launched a clothing collection, modelled by Ahlers. Products range from a US$128 ‘Fair Isle Beanie’ hat to a $2,498 suede ‘stable’ jacket, and are available to purchase via the Todd Snyder brand’s website and at “select” Todd Snyder shops in the US.
The activation will be supported by in-store “experiences and storytelling from Islay”, Diageo added. Further digital content, “offering a deeper look at the Lagavulin distillery”, will also be rolled out over an unspecified period.
“As someone who genuinely loves Lagavulin 16-Year-Old, we were excited to immerse Todd in the place behind the whisky – our distillery on the island of Islay – as well as the generations of people who have crafted our spirit for more than 200 years,” said Diageo’s VP of scotch, Jamie Young.
The marketing activity lands as Diageo is in the midst of strikes at its Cameronbridge grain distillery in Scotland. Last month, the group said it was “disappointed” by the proposed action and the subsequent potential for damage to its scotch production.
