New Campaign for The Famous Grouse

04 Nov 2015 --- Maxxium UK is set to launch a new campaign for The Famous Grouse, the UK’s number one selling blended whisky, which will include a brand new TV advert and a media partnership with the Guardian, reaching a potential audience of 32 million, 66% of the UK adult population.

The Famous For A Reason campaign celebrates fame that has been earned and not sought. A message that is firmly grounded in the brand’s heritage, and the principles of its founder, Matthew Gloag, whose commitment to quality meant he believed in only using the very best ingredients for his whisky.

The TV advert created by AMV BBDO will be aired from the 2nd November until 27th December reaching an audience of 32 million. Designed to launch the campaign and strengthen the brand’s premium position, the advert tells the story of Matthew Gloag’s competitors and their reaction to his high-quality ‘Grouse brand’ whisky created in the 1800s, which soon became famous for its quality and was renamed The Famous Grouse.

The brand will also partner with The Guardian to inspire readers with stories of pioneers from the world of music, technology and sport. Featuring Ralf Baer, famous for building the first home video game console; Dave Godwin, famous for spreading the love of Northern soul music ; Emile Berliner, famous for being the first person to record music to a disc; and Charlie Miller, famous for bringing the game of football to Brazil, the campaign will activate across the Guardian’s digital platforms, with a reach of 12 million. The partnership was brokered and executed by Newcast, part of ZenithOptimedia.

This will also be further supplemented by a digital campaign delivering over 7.3M impressions across Audience on Demand, You Tube, 4 On Demand and Facebook.

In addition, Maxxium has announced that it will be partnering with Selfridges to run an exclusive in-store personalisation campaign in its London, Manchester and Birmingham stores from November for eight weeks. Selfridges customers purchasing a bottle of The Famous Grouse will have the option to request their very own personalised front and back labels which will be printed live in store.

Consumers will also be able to visit thefamousgrouse.com to order their own personalised bottle direct from the website.

Johna Penman, marketing controller, The Famous Grouse said: “The Famous for a Reason campaign aims to build on the iconic advertising of the past, driving real meaning and sharing the authenticity of The Famous Grouse brand. It provides us with a strong platform for future growth. We’ve also placed more of an emphasis on digital content in this new campaign, ensuring we remain relevant to today’s whisky consumers. Each piece of content that we have developed and activity we have planned is designed to communicate the campaign message, reminding us that true fame is earned.”

The campaign follows the launch of a new look portfolio for The Famous Grouse, which includes a repack of The Famous Grouse, a rebrand of The Black Grouse to The Famous Grouse Smoky Black, and the introduction of a new premium expression into the portfolio, The Famous Grouse Mellow Gold.