Diageo is looking to amplify the “smoky character” of Lagavulin in the single malt’s latest marketing push.
Featuring a voiceover by the brand’s creative partner, actor Nick Offerman, ‘Beyond the Smoke’ breaks this week across social media, digital streaming platforms and print. The campaign centres around a 30-second ad, which can be viewed below.
Another element of the marketing move will see the Islay-based scotch partner with tennis magazine Racquet and fashion publication Highsnobiety. The tie-ups are designed to “prove that scotch is not relegated to a fixed setting or audience, but can be appreciated by all who are curious”, according to the brand owner.
“‘Beyond the Smoke’ invites people to explore the layers that lie beyond the initial taste and discover the full spectrum of how it can be enjoyed,” said Diageo’s senior VP of whiskey (sic), Jesse Damashek. “Whether sipped in a dram during a quiet moment in a cozy cocktail bar or amidst the energy of a dinner party within a spicy margarita, single malt whisky is not one-dimensional and we wanted to bring that to life with this new campaign.”
In one of his first appearances for Lagavulin nine years ago, Offerman, who appeared in the first series of acclaimed TV drama The Last of Us, fronted a 45-minute ‘Yule Log’ video, filmed in one take.
Diageo’s presence on the western island of Islay was boosted just over a year ago when the group commenced production at its rebuilt Port Ellen distillery, 41 years after its closure. As well as Lagavulin and Port Ellen, Diageo also owns the Caol Ila distillery on the island’s north-east coast.
