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 mobile and scalable nature of this programme has enabled a wide range of markets to roll it out and drive both brand awareness and sales globally.

Please refer to 'Confidential information for the jury' for results.

The Singleton is a Single Malt Scotch Whisky that is new to many consumers in Asia. This VR experience was designed to communicate the accessible flavours and sensory appeal of the product, as an entry-level product for people who may be daunted by the complexity of the Scotch Whisky category. The consumer insight was that people increasingly expect instant gratification in life. The challenge was to create an enjoyable, new whisky experience that would be more memorable and sticky than the traditional whisky tasting where people sipped one of several whiskies, didn't connect with any of them and moved on without a second thought. The key to recruiting new, younger consumers was to disrupt the perception of Scotch as a stuffy and traditional drink through this immersive VR platform. The mobile VR experience was rolled out in multiple channels including food & wine festivals, supermarkets, on-premise roving and private events.