The Glendronach recently unveiled their new styling as they look to evolve with the changing international landscape of single malt whisky. But what does the almost 200 year old whisky distillery have in common with the late Queen of England? As of 2024, have both been photographed by renowned photographer Rankin.
The result of the collaboration between Rankin and The Glendronach is a powerful short video. Rankin has created a visual representation of Glendronach’s new look that encapsulates the traditional while also providing a refreshing take on the future. In an industry that is increasingly being asked to evaluate its relationship with female drinkers, arguably this is as important as the messages of premiumisation within the new branding. I sat down with Rankin over a video call to discuss his part in bringing the relaunch to life.
The Glendronach And Rankin
Rankin is familiar with the scotch whisky industry and has previously worked with Macallan on the 2010 Masters of Photography Rankin Edition, and directed the video for the launch of the Black Bowmore Aston Martin DB5 Edition. He is best known as a portrait photographer, having photographed many famous faces from the late Queen of England to Arnold Schwarzenegger.
With The Glendronach the connection was instant. “I didn’t need to have anybody explain it to me. And I also doubled down and said, ‘I think if you do this well, it will just be so beautiful and very different within the category.’”
Trending Stories
“They came to me and said, look, what do you think of this as an approach?” Rankin elaborated during an interview when I asked at what point he got involved in the project. “And I said, ‘having worked on whiskey before I’ve never seen anyone use this concept as a way of expressing or explaining that. If you get it right as an idea, it could be really visually very stunning, but very subtly also just telling a great story of something that most people don’t know about. And the people that do know, if you do it nice and subtly, they’ll get the craft of the whisky, from the craft we put into making the work.’”
The result is a dramatically choreographed video of a Spanish Flamenco dancer immersed in The Glendronach distillery. Her distinctive red dress juxtaposes the traditional distillery background. She brings her foot down in the traditional Spanish dance and whisky splashes up. She swirls her dress and the whisky swirls as well. It is supposed to represent the seamless juxtaposition of the Scottish Highlands and the Spanish casks that are at the core of The Glendronach’s flavor profile. The still photos are interesting, but it is worth taking the time to watch the videos as they execute the message simply yet powerfully.
Raising Expectations
To get the perfect imagery Rankin’s team designed and handcrafted the dress worn by the flamenco dancer. Shooting the whisky was just as important, and Rankin explained how they “spent a whole day and a half doing liquid shots of the whisky.”
Signup now to make sure you don't miss out on the latest whiskey news and deals.
By Signing up, you accept and agree to our Terms of Services and you acknowledge our Privacy Statement. The Whiskey Wash is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
The results look effortless in a way that you know must have been quite the opposite. Rankin’s explanations agree; “the photos have been handcrafted in the way the whisky is handcrafted.”
This ethos of taking things to the pinnacle of their potential is at the heart of The Glendronach’s new look. The new tagline is “Raise Expectations” an enigmatic promise that is simultaneously an invitation to raise your glass in celebration, but also perhaps to expect more.
The Spanish connection may seem like a simple one in terms of the sherry influence at The Glendronach. However the use of a Flamenco dancer to represent the union was a conscious choice by the team. Flamenco is strong, intense, passionate… but it is not sexualised.
The importance of women in and to the industry is one that some may roll their eyes at hearing. Especially given that The Glendronach’s master blender is none other than industry icon Rachel Barrie. However the industry as a whole still suffers with women drinker’s not feeling like they are engaged by marketing teams.
“I really liked the fact that she was powerful. In a way she’s the driving force in the piece,” Rankin said. “It was something we talked about. It’s shifting the dial and it’s doing it in a completely unsexualized way.”
Rachel Barrie herself mentioned to me in a previous interview how the proportion of female whisky drinkers is as high as 40 to 50% in some markets. The Glendronach may be clear that they are going after a more premium market, but they’d be foolish to not also be aware of that kind of untapped audience ready to be wooed to a new brand.
What’s Changed For The Glendronach In 2024?
The Glendronach’s whisky remains the same. I mention this because back in 2021 Glendronach updated its labels and caused quite a stir. They removed the statement “Non Chill Filtered” from its labels and the update was not well received within their fan base.
Many drinkers were simply worried that the update meant the quality of their favorite scotch would go down. The reality was their process had remained unchanged. However, because they do sometimes use a very basic level of filtration to remove large particles and maintain a certain appearance (not chill filtration), they removed the statement to avoid backlash from scotch’s governing body the SWA.
This time round the fully rebranded bottle is hoping to strike the sometimes delicate balance of pleasing existing drinkers and appealing to new markets alike. This duality is a theme that runs through the visual pieces for the relaunch, which Rankin has masterfully captured in the short videography.
It’s easy to see the changes in the bottle side. They’ve dropped the capital D in the middle of Glendronach, started using “The” and created a new bottle that is a subtly premium take on the old bottle.
Why Change At All?
The old bottle was the basic tall round you’d expect to see a standard whisky in, maybe behind the counter in your local convenience store but not necessarily sitting comfortably on the top shelf of a premium whisky store. This new bottle is specifically curated and much better matches its position as Brown Forman’s leading premium distillery.
“The new visual identity and packaging reflects the distillery’s enduring philosophy of raising expectations, whilst bringing The Glendronach into an elevated luxury space,” clarifies the official marketing material provided as part of the relaunch.
“We hope the range rebrand will invite a broader audience, including the new luxury drinker, who seeks to explore a rewarding whisky experience from a brand with substance and style. The prestigious bottle structure presented in a refined manner, luxury cues like the embossing and an improved premium label—highlighting the sherry cask maturation process—together with luxury marketing will help deliver this.”
With The Glendronach’s 200th anniversary approaching in 2026 I look forward to seeing what celebratory releases that event may bring in the new branding. There have been some really interesting artist collaborations emerging in recent years, so maybe even a collaboration between The Glendronach and Rankin on a whisky?
Rankin himself was keen on the idea; “I would love it. Suggest that to them.” So watch this space.
The original version of this article was written by me for Forbes.com
Latest News