• by Fern Siegel , March 7, 2024

Monkey Shoulder, a premium 100% malt whisky brand owned by William Grant & Sons, named Special London its new global creative agency.

The account was won after a competitive review. Fallon was the previous incumbent.

Special’s remit will include global strategy and creative development for the brand. The agency’s first work in the U.S. will break in the fourth quarter.

Jennifer Black, CEO & Partner at Special London, said: “Monkey Shoulder is one of those brilliant brands that combines a beautiful, quality product with fantastic  brand potential. Whisky is in ascendancy as a category with hundreds of new brand  entrants. To help Monkey Shoulder rocket its growth and shape the brand globally with such a wonderful bunch of client partners is a real privilege.”

Monkey Shoulder Original Blended Malt Scotch Whisky is a mixing whisky for cocktails, blended in small batches and matured in ex-bourbon casks for up to six months. The brand was voted as the second Best Selling and third Top Trending Scotch Whisky Brand in Drink International’s 2022 Brands Report.

Special first launched in 2007 in New Zealand. Since then, the agency has expanded to the U.S., Europe, Australia and Japan.