Scotland’s Deanston Distillery has partnered with Toronto-based Breakthrough Communications and Verses Content for a branded content series called “Cut From a Different Tartan,” designed to raise awareness for the brand in Canada.
The history of Deanston Distillery dates back to when an 18th-century Scottish Highlands cotton mill – which once employed 1,500 people – was in dire straits, closing up shop in 1965. Deanston’s founder, Brodie Hepburn, saw the potential in the old mill and the river flowing near it, with its waters perfect for whisky making. Years later, that same spirit drives Deanston’s non-traditional approach and its affinity for individuals who are making transformative changes in their respective fields.
Gabby Nobrega, principal of Breakthrough Communications, says the brand wanted to reintroduce itself to the Canadian market, having previously limited its marketing to isolated activations. The consumer market for whisky has also evolved, says Nobrega, expanding to include a younger, more inclusive demographic. To break through, Deanston needed to differentiate the brand and help it stand out amongst the 200 other Scottish distilleries that it competes against.
That inspired Nobrega to build out a national campaign (with in-person activations in Toronto, and paid media across Canada) that tapped into influencers. “[They are] changemaker bartenders who share Deanston’s vision and are advancing various causes in the industry,” she says. “We wanted to shine a light on the bartenders, and give them a platform and opportunity to be a part of the Deanston story.”
The brand and agency team planned an event in downtown Toronto in July, where five bartenders competed in a mixology contest using Deanston Scotch. The bartenders were selected for the positive impact each is having on the hospitality industry across various areas such as LGBTQ+ education, sexual harassment prevention, mental health promotion, sustainability, and mentorship – changemakers in their respective fields who have their own stories to tell.
Breakthrough partnered with Verses for video out of the gate, creating a six-part branded content series focused on the event, the five bartenders, and featuring an original song composed by Verses’ Stephen Stanley to tie it all together.
While the event was held in July, the cocktail recipes that were entered into the contest, as well as the video series, will be launched this week, with paid media support through Bartender Atlas (a community and directory of bartenders, resource for cocktail recipes, and events organizer), Foodism, Dished Toronto, and Streets of Toronto.
To date, PMA Canada has reported double-digit positive sales results in the wake of the initial July event. According to Breakthrough’s Nobrega, the event and branded content have so far garnered attention on social media through influencer posts, resulting in millions of earned impressions across various channels, amplifying the reach of “Cut From A Different Tartan” and creating online buzz that resonated beyond the event itself.
