spirits

Laphroaig's New #OpinionsWelcome Creative Contrasts Friends' Reactions

Timed for the holidays, Laphroaig Single Malt Scotch Whisky is out with the latest extension of its award-winning #OpinionsWelcome campaign, from the White Label U.K. agency.

This time around, the theme is “A First for Friends.” 

As with previous creative in the three-year-old campaign, the new 60-second video (below) captures viewers with its novel premise  of doing just what its name says — presenting negative as well as positive reactions to the Scotch.  

This video shows the unscripted, often starkly contrasting — and amusing — reactions of each person within five different pairs of real friends, as they simultaneously sample the unique, peaty whiskey for the first time. 

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Some of the not-so-complimentary comments include “I think I’d rather have my leg cut off,” “[Tastes like it’s] aged with a yoga mat” and “It’s just like sucking on a sock.” 

The appreciative (even poetic) comments include “It’s beautiful — something of the moon is in the glass,” “[It’s like an] experimental jazz tune” and “This is love on top of love.”

The campaign — originally launched in June 2014 — seeks both to recruit new Laphroaig converts and to “reach our current fans in a creative and engaging way,” Kale Schnettler, senior brand manager, Scotch & Japanese whisky for Beam Suntory, tells Marketing Daily. “We celebrate the fact that our whisky is very polarizing and attracts a bevy of opinions, whether positive or disparaging.”

The video is being featured on Laphroaig’s YouTube and other social media channels, and supported with paid online video and social media advertising for the remainder of the year (the key Scotch consumption season).

Since the campaign's conception, a variety of content has been created, including videos tied to Father's DayThanksgiving and the 2016 election. The last was a 3.5-hour Filibuster film starring comedian Andy Daly. 

The brand continues to collect and post opinions on its #OpinionsWelcome-themed site, including a currently running U.S.-specific contest. 

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