Glenfiddich Turns To Virtual Reality To Help Sell Its Scotch

Scotch whisky distillery Glenfiddich seems to have on its mind a new channel for getting you excited about its products: virtual reality. It takes the shape of an ambitious new project called Journey into the Mind of the Malt Master, and it is something which shows a greater desire to embrace new technologies in an industry that is very much old school in its approach to day to day operations.

Glenfiddich’s new VR film takes its place alongside other ways of more traditional whisky promotion, such as brand ambassadors like Jennifer Wren. Produced by creative agency Space out of London, here is the gist of what is going on in it:

users are taken on a journey and start by soaring above the Scottish countryside. From there they are plunged into the distillery, providing a unique experience as steaming copper pot stills slide past and fermenters drop down and thousands of casks in the warehouse build up around them. Hosted by a charming Scottish guide, the iconic Glenfiddich stag also makes a memorable appearance or two.

Journey into the Mind of the Malt Master, which Space did in collaboration with production company Happy Finish, was filmed “at the Dufftown distillery, in the surrounding countryside and a bespoke 360 green screen studio to allow for the precise choreography of the highly technical shoot.” It is said to have mixed a range of “high end” production techniques, including photo-real 3D CGI, drone footage shot with cutting edge image stabilisation tools and live action tracking camera shots composited into a CG environment.

Though the video is being targeted towards “a series of experiential tasting events to be run in leading bars and travel retail environments across the world,” it has also been made available online to view in an immersive 3D experience for those with the right browser software. I watched the video below through Google Chrome, for example, and found parts of this quite intriguing to look around in as it unfolded. That being said, it is likely even that much better with actual VR headwear.

“Glenfiddich as the single malt Scotch whisky that created the category as we know it today is renowned for pushing the boundaries of whisky convention and this distillery tour continues that rich vein of innovation,” said Ifan Jenkins, Global Brand Marketing Manager for Glenfiddich, in a statement. “Using cutting edge VR technology allows us to immerse whisky drinkers from all over the world in the Glenfiddich story and our Dufftown home to create a truly memorable experience and showcases how we’ve mastered the art of whisky making.”