Ballantine's: Ballantine's Space Glass [image]

Credits & Description:

Additional info: Havas Work Club - "Ballantine's Space Glass"
Agency (& City): Havas Work Club, London
Creative Director: Ben Mooge
Creative Director: Andy Sandoz
Creative: Anna-Rose Kerr
Creative: Nick Wavish
Producer: Tom Hoad
Editor-in-Chief: Nigel Brown
Editor: Ben Moss
Strategist: Clare Down
CEO: Paddy Griffith
Business Director: Elisabet Jonsdottir
Account Director: Ben Tolfree
Product: Ballantine's
Advertiser: Pernod Ricard
Synopsis:
The objective was to recruit the next generation to whisky with an original campaign that positions Ballantine’s as an innovative brand and fellow pioneer.Scotch is under intense competition to maintain market share. For Ballantine’s, there is a renewed need to build brand equity and consideration, particularly amongst younger audiences that are turning from vodka and gin to consider whisky for the first time.Ballantine’s believe in personal expression; that if individuals Stay True to themselves they will leave their impression on the world. For our core audience new frontiers have never been so close. As the age of space tourism begins, Ballantine’s and its drinkers have an opportunity to leave their mark where no-one has gone before.
Execution:
The campaign was designed to be experienced in a nonlinear way by different audiences across a range of channels. Key content was hosted on a Medium publication at ballantinesspaceglass.com. This publication also served as a repository for journalists and influencers and drove extensive in-depth coverage from science writers at the New York Times on the Space Glass’ construction to lifestyle writers at GQ on visions of luxury bars for the future. YouTube content drove viewers between the hero film and the documentaries depending on where they had come into the story. A three week social calendar told the story of the dream and ambition, to the making of the glass to the visions of our future in space via 250+ socials assets on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Strategy:
Objective:Grow volume and share by attracting younger consumers to the brand and making Ballantine’s Finest the scotch whisky for the next generation.Insight:18 - 24 year old ‘aspiring socials’ face a future of unprecedented uncertainty. Economic disruption has driven high levels of youth unemployment and eroded existing support networks. At the same time, technology has empowered young people with tools to collaborate, co-create and turn ideas into reality through online networks - the ultimate in DIY culture.Solution:Ballantine’s is about staying true to who you are. This generation has a destiny that is unknown. Space Glass is a shared mission to create our own future with a glass that can be used in space and makes people dream on earth.Platforms:A non-linear story told through a suite of assets from long form films to digital editoiral and GIFs/images, all tailored to interest groups with media targeted accordingly.
Outcome:
The campaign was adopted by 18 markets driving 15 million combined video views and 75% increase in brand mentions. YouTube analytics showed 12 x more views than the category average and Ballantine’s gained 41% share of voice against globally its top 10 competitors. Space Glass was comprehensively reported from The New York Times science section to Wired and Playboy.
Campaign Description:
A whisky glass designed for your near-future in space, launched with an array of content that allows you to experience it right now, online.Ballantine’s Space Glass is a unique product that enables us to carry forward over one hundred years of whisky connoisseurship and tradition. The glass replicates an earth-like drinking experience in a weightless environment for space tourists seeking leisure and luxury. We launched Ballantine’s Space with an interconnected ‘universe’ of digital content, which allowed us to tell the story of designing, building and testing across multiple channels. Audiences could explore in as much or as little depth as they desired.