Leagas Delaney and Ballantine’s launch latest campaign in Artist series
Creative communications agency Leagas Delaney unveiled its collaboration with Brooklyn artist Scott Albrecht in the latest installment of the ‘Artist Edition’ from Pernod Ricard’s whisky brand Ballantine’s prestige.
The unique bottle and packing design and an accompanying film received its worldwide debut in South Korea Dec 4th to mark the launch of Ballantine’s limited-edition 17-year-old prestige Scotch whisky in the region. It will be rolled out globally on New Year’s Day.
Leagas Delaney’s in-house content studio collaborated with Brooklyn artist Scott Albrecht for the campaign, to create a nostalgic homage to creativity, New York City, and Ballantine’s core value ‘Time Well Spent’. Albrecht, who combines abstract typography with vibrant color, stars in the campaign.
The film captures areas of Albrecht’s life that hold significant meaning for him. Utilising a range of camera techniques including inserts from a DV camcorder and use of Bolex, the team captured Albrecht’s workshop in Brooklyn, his basketball court in New Rochelle, and several areas around New York that he uses for inspiration in his work.
Albrecht has created murals throughout the city, including a design at the Brooklyn Ferry Terminal. For this collaboration, Albrecht created a bespoke wooden piece ‘A Shared History’ that blends Ballantine’s brand colors with his own signature palette.
The campaign has been crafted to resonate with South Korea’s growing demographic of younger whisky drinkers and will run across digital and social channels. A print ad will also run in magazines throughout South Korea.
The campaign reflects a more contemporary and dynamic change of direction for the Ballantine’s Prestige brand, as they continue their drive to appeal a younger audience in key markets across Asia.
Marie Constanty, Senior Brand Manager for Ballantine’s:
Leagas Delaney’s campaign perfectly captures the essence of Time Well Spent. Talent and craft of the kind Scott Albrecht delivers takes time, and so do our whiskies. It’s a beautiful tribute to the creative spirit, and we’re confident that it’ll resonate with existing and new whisky drinkers, who crave something special. From the design of the bottle to the taste of what’s inside, we’re thrilled to be bringing this to market.
Tim Delaney, Founder and Chairman Leagas Delaney:
Ballantine’s new whisky is the latest expression for its Prestige Range, a sublime range of quality whiskies enjoyed in over 100 countries around the world. South Korea is a burgeoning market for whisky, and one where a younger demographic of discerning drinkers are increasingly looking for quality. We’re proud to partner with Scott and his idiosyncratic visual language, to create a new iteration of Ballantine’s rightly lauded 17-Year-Old Scotch.
Albrecht will attend a launch event in Seoul to showcase the campaign and demonstrate his artistic approach to the campaign.
Leagas Delaney is one of the world’s best-known independent creative communication agencies, with offices in London, Shanghai, Hamburg, Milan and Los Angeles. Fiercely independent, since its foundation in 1980 Leagas Delaney has always taken a strategy-led approach to its work, rooted in the belief that “it’s not an idea unless it changes business”. With its ruthless focus on business growth, its team of curious, considered and creative talent have a proven track-record developing ideas that change business for clients such as Investec, Bosch, BASF, Britvic, Pernod Ricard and Patek Philippe.
Ballantine’s is the No.1 Scotch whisky in Europe and the No.2 Scotch whisky in the world with the range selling over 70 million bottles a year worldwide. Ballantine’s has won more than 130 trophies and medals at international competitions in the past 10 years for its outstanding quality, as a result of its unique richness of character and perfect balance. The range, from Ballantine’s Finest to the exclusive 40 Year Old, is the most extensive in the world of Scotch and is maintained by Master Blender Sandy Hyslop, continuing the brand’s tradition of Master Blenders that dates back to 1827. In 2013, Ballantine’s continued its innovative approach by launching Ballantine’s Brasil, a spirit drink made from selectively cask steeping Scotch whisky with Brazilian lime peel.
- Date campaign breaks: 1st December (Korea), 1st January (Global Online)
- Project Title: “Ballantine’s 17-Year-Old Artist Edition”
- Where/Territories: Global online and TV in Asia
- Agency: Leagas Delaney
- Agency contact: Rupert Foy – Account Director
- Client name: Marie Constanty – Senior Brand Manage
- Copywriter, Art Director, Photographer: Pete Bell
- Production company: Kode Media
- Director: Glenn Paton
- Audio Post Production: 750mph
- Post Production: Studio Private