The Glenmorangie distillery has been producing single malt Scotch whisky for almost two centuries, so it’s fitting they’ve chosen a bona fide legend to front their new campaign.
Harrison Ford is the star of a video series in which he heads to Scotland to meet the distillery team, mess around in a castle and take pot shots at all the cliches of whisky advertising. The luxury car, kilt, bagpipes and mountains – they’re all thrown in, but not quite in the expected format.
“We take our whisky-making and craft very seriously, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously,” says Caspar MacRae, CEO of Glenmorangie.
“Harrison has a fantastic wry sense of humour, so when [director] Joel Edgerton suggested him, we knew he was the perfect fit. We had a lot of fun playing into some of the tropes of more ‘traditional’ whisky advertising whilst putting the spotlight on the real things that make Glenmorangie unique.”
The best thing Harrison Ford has done in years?
The Glenmorangie (pronounced “glen-MORANGE-ee”, where “morange” rhymes with orange) campaign is “a love letter to Scotland”, according to MacRae. There are six episodes of ‘Once Upon a Time in Scotland’, as well as behind-the-scenes content, with more to come as the campaign develops. It’s funny, beautiful, and a little bittersweet. The Guardian described the project as Ford “farting around on YouTube for a relatively small audience, seemingly just to entertain himself… the best thing he’s done for years”.
Episodes feature Ardross Castle (made famous in The Traitors), an Eagle Speedster, the actual Glenmorangie distillery team, and a range of locations near the distillery in Tain. In addition to its intensely Scottish setting, the series brings an international flavour thanks to its American superstar, as well as its director, campaign photographer, creative director and campaign stylist, who are all Australian.
“What we realised through this process is that the Aussie and Scottish sense of humours are quite similar,” MacRae says. “We spent three days in total filming and shooting this campaign and during that time Harrison was completely immersed in Glenmorangie’s world. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the distillery team. Harrison made everyone feel at ease with him and in front of the camera. It’s an experience I’m sure none of them will forget in a hurry.”
“I’m not doing all that action man shit”
In the campaign, Ford tells his agent: “I’m not doing all that action man shit that they want.” He gives a scathing reading of the suggested script, before throwing it in the fire, saying “Never in a million years”. In reality, the 82 year old loved bringing the brand to life. Ford has enjoyed Scotch since his college years, and often drinks it in his films. He was also very happy to embrace the kilt, the mountains and, of course, the Jaguar E-Type Eagle Speedster.
“Harrison had a great time in Scotland,” MacRae says. “I think he enjoyed having the freedom and flexibility to go ‘off script’, and the time he spent with [Master Distiller Dr] Bill Lumsden to do a deep dive into the Glenmorangie range. He immediately bonded with [director] Joel Edgerton – they both appreciated having the creative licence that they did, and I think it paid off.”
Growing global popularity for Scotch whisky
Glenmorangie has been around since 1843 meaning there’s over 180 years of craftsmanship behind the brand; but there’s still room for growth. The global market for Scotch whisky is forecast to grow to a record US$15 billion by 2028, according to TechNavio. And last year, Scotch whisky overtook cognac and armagnac to become the world’s leading luxury spirit.
New markets are helping drive demand, explains MacRae: “If we look at the latest figures from the SWA [Scotch Whisky Association], India is currently the top export market by volume, followed by France, the USA, Japan and Spain.
“Indian consumers are discovering quality Scotch whisky at a rapid rate. We’re seeing a particular trend for premiumisation in spirits preferences there. Also, education about Scotch whisky is leading to many more people discovering and experimenting with single malts.”
New flavours in the ancient world of whisky
Scotch whisky has been around since at least 1494; the word whisky comes from a Gaelic phrase meaning “water of life”. After over 500 years of production, you might imagine there’s not a lot of room for innovation – but you’d be wrong.
Glenmorangie has recently reimagined its flagship single malt whisky, The Original 12 Years Old, with a new age statement. The Original is often the entry point for new drinkers of single malt, and then they start exploring the rest of the range, which evolves regularly.
“Consumers are excited by innovation, whether that’s new cask finishes during maturation, or experiments with primary production – the malting of the barley, fermentation, or other specifics,” says MacRae. “This is a huge priority at Glenmorangie, and in 2021 we unveiled a new experimental distillery, The Lighthouse. It allows Dr Bill and the whisky creation team to experiment with all aspects of production in pursuit of flavour and exciting new creations.”
Dr Bill and several other members of the distillery team can be seen in episode five of the ‘Once Upon a Time in Scotland’ series, which can be viewed on the Glenmorangie website or YouTube.
