Why is this work relevant for Entertainment?

Expectation denies memories - just one of the neuroscience techniques applied to create a highly entertaining film experience to enhance brand memories. The narrative plays on visualisation, a culture impacting dare, to imagine what life could be if you made bold decisions. ASMR, Infrasound and 3D sound helped guests ‘feel’ the story and scents release technology triggered our strongest emotional sense, smell. Leaving the cinema we reveal The Macallan bar, a replica from the film, allowing our audience to step into the film and tell their whisky worthy stories. A three month extension, shows The Macallan Experience is unskippable entertainment.

Background

Client Brief: ‘Develop an experiential marketing program to position The Macallan as the ultimate luxury spirit brand in Asia with the next generation (25-40 year old male & females who favour premium fine wine and spirits). Deliver an unforgettable experience that stays true to the brand heritage and brand ethos ‘Make the call’ (bold decision making). Client Objectives: Awareness - of The Macallan portfolio and what sets it apart. Consideration – intrigue in a way that will encourage the audiences to want to learn more and take action e.g. sign up to the brand’s mailing list Portability – the marketing and event messaging must cross Asian cultures. Design a marketing and event toolkit to act as a blueprint for each country. Original budget: $160k for creative design & toolkit, $1m - interactive storytelling mediums. Scale: Up to 6 Asian markets Pre Covid KPI: 8000 pax per market

Describe the creative idea

Drinks brands always use product tastings to encourage new recruits. To be memorable, we had to do something different. The brand’s global message is Make The Call: Dare to go where others haven’t, make bold decisions and reap the rewards. We did just that. We asked the brand to hero true inspirational Asian stories as the face of their Scottish brand: ‘Whisky Worthy Stories’ - stories so rich and powerful they have to be paired with a fine dram. We crafted a seven zone brand experience, each zone telling a whisky worthy story. The pinnacle; a 12 minute film aired in our boutique cinema. The film tells two true stories, perfectly paired to whiskies, which guests are guided to taste. Each touchpoint, from the leather seats to the scent release technology and the ASMR, Infrasound, 3D and Directional Sound techniques were expertly designed with applied neuroscience to enhance memorability.

Describe the strategy

How do you entice 25-40 year old non-whisky drinkers to taste whisky? Immerse them in a world they aspire to be associated with and inspire them with ‘Whisky Worthy Stories’. Our audience over-indexed on learning and technology, directing us to create a smart sensory film that guided our audience in the art of whisky tasting. The film is set in a stunning bar, a replica of which guests can have a drink in when they exit the purpose built scent release and sound technology cinema, which plays on the science of surprise, a technique that has been proven to enhance memorability up to 400x. Our host, who breaks the 4th wall to engage with the audience is Erin, the Scottish Mixologist. She artfully goes between insightful whisky ‘know hows’ and intriguing conversations with two Asian heroes who each tell their true Whisky Worthy Story of pursuing something greater.

Describe the execution

We went on a quest for real stories that encapsulate the brand, the whisky flavours, reflected our Asian audience values. We unearthed true stories of Dr Purev and Marese Secades. Retold through an Asian cast and storylines to this guaranteed the stories resonated and connected with our audience. The narrative, the interactivity and the space were all designed with applied neuroscience. From intriguing scenes to capture attention, to the unexpected when Erin breaks the 4th wall to guide the audience to savour whisky. The feeling generated with the latest sound and scent technology: we applied ASMR, Infrasound, Directional and 3D sound techniques to help guests ‘feel’ the story and triggered our strongest emotional sense, smell releasing scents into the cinema. Navigating an ever-challenging COVID landscape, the production team used cast and crew native to the region allowing us to support local industries and travel during a time of global lockdown.

Describe the outcome

Despite hundreds of Covid challenges along the way, our whisky worthy story experience is live at Raffles Hotel Singapore now. The results for the first 9 weeks: 4200 consumers tasted the Whisky Worthy Stories. 157% Sign up of new whisky drinkers vs target. (Actual: 4200 new recruits vs target of 2667. Original target of 8000 for a 24 pax cinema which had to be reduced to 8 pax cinema due to Covid) $1m+ Revenue (film ticket and product sales) $35% guests watched the film, purchased product at the Experience $3.1m Earned PR 50,000 + Unique website visitors The profits from the cinematic experience supports the charity started by one of our true Asian heroes featured in the film to help the blind in Mongolia. To date over $124,000 has been raised. The results have been so strong that The Macallan have just extended the Singapore Experience for another 3 months.