The Campaign

The Singleton Virtual Reality Tasting Experience transformed what could have been a standard whisky sampling activity into a completely uninterrupted, intimate, one-on-one discourse between The Singleton and its target audience. This two-minute VR journey transports consumers to the Scottish Highlands, through the Glen Ord distillery and into the cask to experience the flavours of The Singleton of Glen Ord 12 Year. VR was chosen to communicate these unique flavours using sight and sound, to complement the smell and taste of the actual whisky being sampled. This approach was inspired by an Oxford University study commissioned by Singleton in 2013 which found consumers were 20% more likely to taste flavours in the liquid and thus better enjoy the whisky tasting with a multi-sensory experience.

Creative Execution

This VR content was created entirely using CGI in order to meet the client's budget and timeline (only two months from brief to delivery). The process involved storyboarding, script-writing, animatics, 3D modelling and rendering, plus the recording of an authentic Scottish voice talent. The launch activation in Singapore took place at the 2016 Epicurean Market at Marina Bay Sands, a three-day food and wine festival that attracted over 16,000 target consumers. A stylish and eye-catching branded pop-up featured product displays and played host to the VR experience. Brand Ambassadors invited consumers, media and trade partners to participate. They were each handed a branded VR headset, headphones and a dram of The Singleton. After the success of the launch at Marina Bay Sands, the VR content was rolled out in both on and off-premise venues in Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa, Europe and the USA. The flexible and scalable nature of this programme has enabled a range of markets to roll it out and drive both brand awareness and sales globally.