Icons of Campbeltown

Glen Scotia is one of just three surviving distilleries in Campbeltown, a town that once had more than 30.

Their Icons of Campbeltown series celebrates this legacy, with each whisky release paying tribute to a symbol found on the town’s historic market cross.

For the inaugural edition, The Mermaid, we were asked to create an immersive, story-led digital experience that would bring the icon to life to deepen emotional connections with Glen Scotia’s audience.

The experience had to tread a careful line: rich in storytelling and visual flair, but always in service of the product, a rare, maritime-influenced single malt, matured in an exceptionally limited cask.

It needed to unite mythology, community and craftsmanship without overwhelming the whisky itself. And it had to resonate with a discerning audience of whisky lovers aged 35–55, an audience who seek authenticity, provenance and meaning in the brands they support. An audience who are hugely invested in the brand, discuss it thoroughly on socials and prize story-telling above gimmicks.

Visually, it also had to align with Glen Scotia’s evolving brand and incorporated the work of fantasy illustrator Joel Holtzman, whose designs adorned the bottle.

We built an immersive on-pack experience which would provide deeper level story-telling and nuggets to enhance the consumption experience.

Additional content was accessed via a QR code hidden inside the pack, which would open up a world via an animated storybook to the story behind the product expression, an interview with the illustrator, tasting notes voiced by the Master Distiller.