Talk to me about alcohol, aka art and commerce

And now for something completely different.

I got into an argument with a web designer once about whether a site should be in orange or green tones. He liked the orange, but the client liked the green. He then went behind my back and talked the client into the orange which made me furious because 1. the green was better and 2. this wasn't art for art's sake; the client was paying him and me to promote their product (in this case, themselves), not to win this designer awards or get him a spot in a gallery.  (Are there physical galleries of web pages? Probably?) Oh, and 3. he wasn't supposed to be talking directly to the client. Sigh.

This week in Interviewville, we have Ken Grier, Director of Malts for The Edrington Group, answering questions about drinkable art, storytelling and those elusive edgy kids everyone wants a piece of.  The Macallan has launched a new collection that merges photography with their Scotch called The Masters of Photography.  For their first collaboration, they've partnered with "noted" (/completely awesome) photographer Rankin (of Dazed & Confused fame).  For this project, Rankin has taken over 1,000 large format Polaroids on the grounds of the Macallan distillery.  Each photo is then sold in a limited edition black leather box along with a rare 30 year old Scotch. So, art for commerce; good, bad, ugly, beautiful?

Ken Grier has worked for The Edrington Group for over 10 years carrying out a variety of roles including Global Marketing Controller (The Famous Grouse) and European Zone Director.  In 2001, he was promoted to Brands Director for the Groups Brands and when the company restructured in 2004 he was appointed to the new role of Director of Malts, profit responsible for The Macallan and Highland Park. In October this year he took on the added responsibility of head of the company's marketing intelligence team. He is a director of The Macallan Distillers, Highland Distillers and the Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre.

In his current role he has overseen the hugely successful launch of The Macallan's Fine Oak range in 2004 which now accounts for one in four sales of The Macallan. This success has propelled Fine Oak to become the most successful initiative in The Macallan's 184 year history, fuelling The Macallan's rise to the number three best selling single malt brand in the world..


How did The Macallan come up with the idea to create a product with photographers? What have been some successful past Macallan marketing campaigns?

Not only do our consumers want the best in single malt Scotch, but they are also cultural connoisseurs with sophisticated interests.  In fact, we know that 80% of Macallan whisky drinkers are also invested in art, so partnering with the iconic Scottish fashion photographer Rankin to create one-of-a-kind labels for our precious Fine Oak 30 bottles was an ideal way to appeal to our consumers.

In past campaigns, we joined forces with Lalique, the legendary French crystal makers, in 2005 to create a series of six limited edition decanters containing rare Macallan single malt, retailing for up to $14,000 each.  To date, we have launched two of these decanters.

           
From the looks of The Masters of Photography website, The Macallan's collaborations with photographers will continue after this project with Rankin. Will Macallan eventually look to collaborate with other kinds of visual artists, outside of photography? What about performing artists? (I know some great musicians who sure like Scotch...)

One of our main goals is to tell our story in an engaging way, to appeal to the emotions of our target market, so yes, we'll continue to evaluate the appropriate avenues that will allow us to do so , however we are currently selecting a photographer to collaborate with to produce a second bottle in the Masters of Photography series.

As mentioned above, we've partnered with Lalique crystal to create limited edition decanters for some of our oldest expressions to present the liquid in a beautiful and innovative way.


Classical music is often used to advertise high-end products, to prove that these products are, well, classy or classic, so you hear classical music in car commercials, classical musicians are used in Mont Blanc ads, etc.. The Macallan is already a luxury brand, so why the choice to collaborate with an edgy photographer rather than one with a more "fine art" reputation?  Are there potential collectors out there you think The Macallan has missed with past campaigns/collaborations?

It's actually very fitting for The Macallan's Fine Oak collection to be paired with an artist on the cutting edge of photography.  Rankin's iconic status in the fashion photography world appeals to the younger, edgier, more trend conscious audience that is becoming the new face of single malt Scotch, and The Macallan's Fine Oak collection - one that is completely unique and untraditional for the brand - attracts a similar target  audience.

As background, after 180 years of only maturing The Macallan liquid in sherry oak casks, the brand broke with tradition to add bourbon-aged casks into the equation.  The result of this unique cask combination is The Fine Oak Collection, a lighter and more modern style of single malt Scotch that answered the global demand for a more accessible single malt.


Conversely, what is the current Macallan consumer-base? Do you think they'll be interested in Rankin's work beyond this series, having been exposed to it through this collaboration?

As mentioned above and especially with the launch of The Macallan Fine Oak Collection in 2004, the Scotch category is growing exponentially among younger, edgier, trend conscious men and women, who are curious and eager to learn and understand the history behind the liquid. 

When we launched The Masters of Photography Collection at the M+B Gallery in Los Angeles, it was clear that Rankin had a strong following among these young, fashion-savvy influencers.  We were also delighted to see how well these "in the know" industry leaders responded to The Macallan, and we can only assume that there's a huge population of a similar demographic who would also react favorably to our brand.


In your advertising and publicity campaigns, how are you balancing spirits media and visual arts media? Has one side or the other shown more interest in the project?  

The Masters of Photography Collection is essentially the coming together of two art forms - whisky making and photography - so we've generated interest in both of these vertical media areas. 

The spirits press focus more on the precious liquid inside the bottles - The Macallan Fine Oak 30 Years Old - and are eager to promote the new limited edition bottlings from The Macallan.  For the art/photography press, it is important to note that Rankin's project with black-and-white instant film came at the end of the Polaroid era, and that he actually bought out all the instant film in the UK to finish a photo shoot of 6,000 original images of The Macallan distillery.  In addition, Rankin's reputation as being an iconic fashion photographer is highly appealing to the art world.  

 
Is getting Rankin's Polaroids - on their own or in conjunction with the bottle design and packaging - reviewed by art critics a goal?

Our main goal was to tell our brand story in an innovative and engaging way and to explore the intersection between art and whisky making, so we weren't necessarily focused on getting the art critiqued on its own.


Orchestra seats at The Metropolitan Opera range from $110-$295. One of my clients played with the Los Angeles Philharmonic this January, and orchestra tickets to her concert were over $100. It's sometimes challenging for publicists and marketers in the arts to convince the public that these performances are "worth it", even in a good economy. "The Macallan Fine Oak 30 Years Old Rankin bottling" costs $1,695. How do you convince first-time buyers it's worth the money?

The $1,695 limited edition bottles are actually not aimed at first time buyers - instead they are for the Scotch connoisseur who is heavily invested in single malt Scotch.  The collection provides the opportunity for this very specific Scotch collector to own a bottle that's completely unique and the only one of its kind.


How do you explain (to non-collectors) the difference between a $160 bottle of Scotch and a $1600 bottle of Scotch? Between a $60 and a $160 bottle?

The key to whisky-making at The Macallan is that corners are never cut and compromises never made. By using the finest barley ( Minstrel ),  yeast,  the smallest pot stills on Speyside and carefully conditioned sherry casks,  which can cost up to ten times more than casks used by other single malt distilleries, The Macallan makes an enormous investment in every step of the production process.  In short, uncompromising methods, combined with watchful patience in the maturing warehouses, enable The Macallan whisky makers to produce distinctive, top-quality malt whiskies which truly deserve their price tag.


Even without the Rankin photographs, would you define "The Macallan Fine Oak 30 Years Old Rankin bottling" art, or is it something else?  And if it is art, should you drink it?

Even without the Rankin photographs, the whisky making that takes place at The Macallan distillery is certainly comparable to art, with Bob Delgarno - The Macallan Whisky Maker - the artist.

Bob Delgarno's craft is to create single malt perfection.  To do so, he ensures the following:

• Continued use of  Minstrel barley, despite its low yield and high cost
• The unique combination of four yeasts, to add complexity during fermentation
• The smallest hand-hammered stills on Speyside, ensuring richness
• Extreme selection after distillation--only 16% make the cut
• Exceptional oak casks - All handcrafted or hand-picked in Spain or North America
• Pure, natural coloring (caramel is never added)
• The broadest range of vintage single malts from any distillery

The end result: liquid masterpiece.