The first Haig Club Single Grain Scotch Whisky advert puts the ‘toast’ at the heart of the brand
Diageo, a global leader in beverage alcohol, has today announced the launch of its first TV advert for the new Single Grain Scotch Whisky Haig Club.
Renowned British director Guy Ritchie has teamed up with award-winning advertising agency adam&EveDDB to produce Welcome, featuring Haig Club partner and global icon David Beckham. The advert will air for the first time on UK television yesterday on Sky and the extended 90-second director’s cut will be available to view on YouTube.com/HaigClub.
Welcome weaves together a series of epic journeys made by a group of friends through the Highlands, as they head towards an estate in Glen Affric near Inverness, Scotland to share a weekend together. The action culminates in a celebratory toast showing the group raising a glass of Haig Club before revealing the same group of friends sharing a similar toast moment in numerous locations across the globe, from Antarctica to Madagascar.
“The toast is a time-honoured tradition rich in heritage, with the ability to bring people together, and we are putting this gesture at the heart of Haig Club,” explains Ronan Beirne, Global Marketing Director, Haig Club. “Haig Club is all about ‘Welcome’ – whether it’s welcoming friends or the discovery of Single Grain Scotch Whisky – the toast embodies this sentiment. Our vision for the film has brought this gesture – which we hope will become synonymous with Haig Club – to life once again, with a modern look.”
The toast is woven into the history of the House of Haig. “Club Man” advertisements from the 1920s featured leading private members’ clubs in London where toasting was the cornerstone of any social occasion, and in the 1930s, Haig Club advertisements again focused on the fact that the most treasured ritual in the club was to keep the spirit of toasting alive.
David Beckham recently welcomed his friends and the world to Haig Club, toasting to guests at his global launch celebration in Edinburgh, and he is also featured raising a glass in print advertisements shot by photographer Peter Lindbergh.
“I love the tradition of toasting, it’s something I always do with friends and family,” commented David Beckham. “Working with Guy to bring this tradition to life in a new way has been so rewarding. Haig Club has always been about friends coming together and that’s what we wanted to reflect with the advert. It’s as simple as that.”
“This project had so many elements that I find appealing: it’s a film about good mates having an adventure and coming together for a celebration,” added director Guy Ritchie, who also makes a cameo within the advert. “It’s set in the Highlands of Scotland, one of the most beautiful places I’ve visited. David is a good friend and we had a lot of fun making this together.”
The film also features the track Left Hand Free from Mercury Music Prize winners Alt-J. Left Hand Free, which also officially launches on 17th October, is a single from the band’s number one album This Is All Yours.
Creative Credits
Creative Agency: adam&eveDDB
Creative Director/Copywriter: Shay Reading
Creative Director/Art Director: Frank Ginger
Executive Creative Directors: Ben Priest, Ben Tollet & Emer Stamp
Agency TV Producer: Pamie Wikstrom
Planner: Michael Hines
Account Director: James Rowe
Managing Director: Tammy Einav
Production Company: Independent/Reset
Producer: Adam Saward
Director: Guy Ritchie
Soundtrack name and composer: Left Hand Free, Alt-J (Newman/Unger-Hamilton/Green)
Editor: James Herbert / Angus Munro
Post Production: Nineteentwenty
VFX Supervisor: Ludo Fealy
Colorist: Paul Harrison @ Finish
Sound Engineer: Jack Sedgwick @ Wave
