A Value Scotch in a Crowded Market
In the late 1980s, International Distillers & Vintners (IDV) faced a challenging mission: create a competitive value Scotch whisky for the European market. White Horse, Clan Campbell, and Vat 69 were already dominating the space, particularly in France, Italy, and Spain. The Spanish market was especially competitive, with the locally-produced DYC whisky capturing significant market share.
IDV’s solution was to resurrect Spey Royal, a dormant brand from the early 1900s that had been gathering dust in UK liquor stores. The constraints were significant: the whisky needed to be just over the minimum three-year aging requirement for Scotch, use the existing bottle shape, and maintain identical label dimensions to avoid costly machinery changes.
When Chocolate Inspired Whisky Design
The breakthrough came in that London supermarket visit. Looking at the chocolate display, Gluckman noticed how Cadbury’s purple wrapper stood out dramatically from everything around it. More importantly, there was no purple anywhere in the whisky aisle.
The team commissioned a stunning metallic purple label, breaking every convention of traditional Scotch whisky design. The liquid itself was crafted to be full-flavored and dark, marked with “Extra Rich” on the label to signal its robust character to consumers.
In what some considered a remarkably straightforward approach for the often over-intellectualized world of spirits marketing, the core strategy was simple: in massive Spanish hypermarkets, where whisky competed with everything from detergents to weed killers, they needed a bottle that would be impossible to miss. The purple label would ensure Spey Royal caught the eye before anything else.
From European Rejection to Market Reality
The initial European launch of Spey Royal proved challenging. Focus groups were particularly brutal, with participants firmly stating “Whisky doesn’t come in bottles with purple labels, so I wouldn’t buy it.” The Spanish market, despite its size and strategic importance, gave the brand a lukewarm reception at best.
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The conservative European whisky market, steeped in traditions of muted colors and classic designs, wasn’t ready for such a bold departure from convention. What the team had seen as innovative standout appeal was perceived as almost sacrilegious to traditional Scotch consumers.
Thailand’s Royal Purple Revolution
Just as Spey Royal seemed destined for the archive of failed innovations, an unexpected opportunity emerged. Two entrepreneurs – one Thai, one Australian – discovered the brand and saw something IDV had missed: in Thailand, purple held royal associations that could elevate the brand’s status significantly.
They flew to London and negotiated rights to distribute Spey Royal in Thailand. What followed was nothing short of remarkable. The whisky’s purple packaging, initially deemed too bold for Europe, resonated perfectly with Thai consumers who associated the color with royal prestige.
The brand quickly became the dominant player in its sector of the Thai market. The two entrepreneurs who had spotted this cultural connection became millionaires through their insight. In a final twist of irony, IDV eventually bought back the brand from them – only to begin systematically removing the very purple coloring that had made it such a success.
A Legacy Beyond Color
Today, the Spey Royal story stands as a fascinating case study in whisky marketing and cultural adaptation. While European markets weren’t ready for such a dramatic departure from tradition, the brand’s success in Thailand proved that sometimes the boldest ideas just need to find their right audience.
The lesson wasn’t lost on the industry. Modern whisky brands increasingly embrace distinctive packaging and cultural relevance, though few have dared to be quite as bold as Spey Royal’s purple statement. The brand’s journey from supermarket inspiration to Thai triumph demonstrates how success in the whisky business often comes from understanding local markets rather than following global conventions.
This remarkable story is just one of many fascinating tales from the golden age of spirits innovation detailed in David Gluckman’s book “That S*it Will Never Sell!” In this captivating memoir, Gluckman shares three decades of insights from developing some of the world’s most successful drinks brands. Beyond just Spey Royal, he reveals the creative processes behind iconic brands like Baileys Irish Cream and Tanqueray Ten.
The book offers readers unprecedented access to the real stories behind major brand developments, complete with the triumphs, failures, and unexpected successes that shaped today’s spirits industry. For anyone interested in the business of whisky, brand development, or just enjoying a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at how iconic drinks are created, “That S*it Will Never Sell!” provides an entertaining and enlightening journey through drinks history.
Available now on Amazon, this illustrated paperback captures the spirit of innovation that continues to drive the whisky industry forward, proving that sometimes the ideas that seem most unlikely are the ones that succeed beyond anyone’s expectations.
