Diageo AdWatch

Campaign Overview

Following on from the success of its brand association with Keira Knightley for 2021’s “Savour the Pause” campaign, Diageo India has partnered with the Hollywood actress again to create a limited-edition varietal, Black Dog Wine Cask. With an emphasis on luxury and exclusivity, the range is priced at a premium and limited to just 10,000 cases within India.

Knightley, who has been involved in the creative process surrounding the release, said: “I am excited about the new launch of Black Dog, a brand that celebrates the progressive philosophy of balancing the constant pace with an occasional pause for the next-generation of young achievers. The Wine Cask edition is a celebration of fine craftsmanship that pushes the boundaries of the traditional scotch whisky-making process”.

The Black Dog Wine Cask edition is a complex blend of aged whiskies that have been matured and finished in casks that previously held a premium red wine, giving the expression a unique flavour of luxury and indulgence.

Key Learnings

TThis strategy builds on the previous brand campaign featuring Keira Knightley, encouraging audiences to step back from the pace of everyday life and “savour the pause”. The brand maintains its luxury credentials, established by its premium price point and strict limit on bottle quantity, whilst Knightley’s appearance targets a millennial and female audience. Keeping the product rare and exclusive elevates its importance and further demands that the whisky is savoured at the optimal moment.

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Campaign Overview

Just seven months after winning the World Cup with Argentina, Lionel Messi is now fronting a Budweiser ad campaign for the Women’s World Cup and asks the question; “Who will be next?” The strategy sees Messi watching highlights from previous events before stating “Greatness is Hers to Take”, and wishing luck to the players competing in this year’s tournament in Australia & New Zealand.

Budweiser will be the official beer provider for the Women’s World Cup and its empowering campaign message #BringHomeTheBud shows the brand’s support for the players as they get ready to compete. The campaign is the latest iteration of the strategy seen for the Men’s World Cup in 2022, developing its “The World Is Yours to Take” anthem into the female-focused “Greatness is Hers to Take”.

The popularity of the Women’s World Cup has increased dramatically in recent years – and so has advertiser interest, capitalising on a sport with growing audience reach. More than 1.1 billion people watched the Women’s World Cup in 2019 and the sport’s popularity has only grown as participation at every level continues to increase.

Key Learnings

While the inclusion of previous World Cup winner Lionel Messi provides continuity between the two World Cup campaigns, it may appear tone-deaf to audiences to see a male footballer endorsing a female football tournament. However, evolving its previous campaign from the World Cup 2022, to feature more female-focused messaging, reinforces the fact that the brand’s support for the Women’s World Cup is as equal as its support for its male counterpart. Its #BringTheBudHome message acts in two ways; giving encouragement to players to bring home the trophy, and offering instructions for audiences to enjoy matches at home with a Bud.

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Campaign Overview

A development of Chivas’ global “I Rise, We Rise” positioning, the brand partnered with Complex Philippines to showcase four key players in music and style who embody the brand’s ethos of elevating others alongside themselves. Hosted on the Complex Philippines website, the “Mad Hustle” campaign featured photos and interviews from music artist FELIP, FlipTop Founder Alaric “Anygma” Yuson, soul and RnB artist Jess Connelly, and content creator Gela Muñoz.

Chivas has dubbed this quartet of tastemakers as the “New Regals,” empowering and celebrating this generation of entrepreneurs that has risen to success outside of traditional structures. Each of the personalities were photographed wearing clothing from Chivas’ recent collaboration with Syndrome Supply, further embedding the brand within the style and fashion category.

Key Learnings

This localised strategy focused on regional personalities to engage with audiences on a more authentic level, reflecting the brand’s global message with familiar faces that come from the Philippines as opposed to using global Hollywood celebrities. Avoiding the typical visions of success and fame seen in previous Chivas campaigns, the brand is recognising the changing nature of the world and what is considered as success, showcasing content creators and millennial entrepreneurs instead of businessmen in suits.

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Campaign Overview

The Macallan has launched a new online film entitled ‘The Spirit of 1926’, working with famed Scottish band Simple Minds for the soundtrack. The two-minute film tells the story of Janet ‘Nettie’ Harbinson, played by English actress Emily Mortimer, who crafted what would become the most valuable bottle of wine or spirit ever sold at auction, The Macallan 1926. The brand has hopes the character and narrative will bring to life its own ethos of pursuing excellence with modesty and grace, all while caring for people.

Simple Minds lead singer Jim Kerr re-imagined the song ‘Solstice Kiss’ and added in the sound of Celtic pipes into the composition, in order to pay homage to the group’s Scottish roots.

The film can be found on the brand’s website where visitors can also see further information on the film’s characters and listen to the soundtrack. Content on Facebook and Instagram is also driving awareness.

According to reports, this is the first single to be released in its own right by an artist following a collaboration with The Macallan.

Key Learnings

This feels like a neat partnership that allows the brand to engage with a well-established band that will resonate with its Scottish following and beyond. The Macallan has previously partnered with Nicola Benedetti and Mogwai to write and perform dedicated compositions too, so this a joined-up approach. It will be interesting to see how much traction the film gains starring such a well-known actress.

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Campaign Overview

Seen across TV, Radio, OOH and digital advertising, Pepsi’s “You Probs Prefer Pepsi Max” campaign is an irreverent celebration of its recent blind taste-test study, which revealed that 70% out of 34,000+ people preferred the taste of Pepsi Max.

The campaign has also focused on the drink’s food-pairing qualities through a partnership with DJ, rapper and TV Chef Big Zuu. This collaboration will be felt through radio spots, social media content and immersive activations, targeting a modern audience through its informal hip-hop alignment and language.

Key Learnings

Perceived frequently as a challenger brand to Coca-Cola, this strategy allows the brand to establish superiority – particularly in taste – and its popularity within the marketplace. Creative tone differs dramatically from Coca-Cola, focusing less on traditional dining occasions to instead highlight on-the-go eating and takeaways. The hip-hop positioning – through both music, language and brand ambassador – gives Pepsi a fresh and exciting persona, once again contrasting itself against the lighter music choices seen from Coca-Cola.

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Campaign Overview

Taking place between 6-8 July, NOS Alive 2023 is the fifteenth iteration of the Portuguese music festival, and once again, Heineken is present as one of the key sponsors and the official beer of the event. Bands will be performing on the Heineken Stage, whilst attendees can also find a range of different branded experiences within the Heineken Silver Sessions room. One of the main attractions is a jukebox with playlists created by local market brand ambassadors, such as Dino d'Santiago, José Mata, Ana Marta Ferreira, Irma, Sofia Barbosa and João Sousa.

Heineken’s head of marketing in Portugal, Filipa Magalhães, explained the partnership by stating: “Music is the universal language of emotions, and it has the power to reach several generations and is part of each person's daily life. Values ​​and a positioning with which the Heineken brand identifies and which make this platform a fundamental pillar in our strategy”.

The sponsorship is also accompanied by a media campaign that will appear on billboards, social media and Spotify.

Key Learnings

Heineken has an association with global sporting events such as the UEFA Champions League and Formula One, but this activation adopts a more localised approach using Portuguese brand ambassadors to help build its brand presence at the NOS Alive festival. Smaller in scale than its sport sponsorships, Heineken remains a visible presence at the festival through stage decoration and its themed experiential rooms. This provides an intimate view of the brand, allowing festival-goers to feel connected to the beer whilst enjoying the live music.

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Campaign Overview

These sought-after Champagnes, highly regarded by collectors, are made from Chardonnay harvested from the Côte des Blancs, which is aged for a minimum of eight years and allowed to rest for an additional year after disgorgement before release. This 2012 vintage has been grouped under the “Rare Collection” banner to signify the elite nature of the product.

The launch took place at two events in Shanghai and Shenzhen at the end of June, with an emphasis on luxury, exclusivity and attention to detail. Every detail of the product design, from the paper to the bottle markings featuring the famous arrows and engraved bottle, pays homage to the artistry of Baron de Rothschild. The presentation box is made of solid walnut sourced from European forests, with a tree planted for every box produced.

Key Learnings

Targeting fine wine enthusiasts, this prestigious product launch placed heavy emphasis on the provenance of the wine and the attention to detail given to the bottle packaging to appeal to collectors. Creating exclusivity and value through limited-edition vintages such as the “Rare Collection” allows Barons de Rothschild to cultivate its premium persona as a produce of fine wines.

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