The Singleton is a Single Malt Scotch Whisky that's positioned as an accessible and easy-to-drink product to recruit new consumers into the Single Malt category. As such, the client sought to disrupt the traditional cues of this category and create immersive VR content that would surprise and delight, while educating consumers about the unique flavours of The Singleton.

Diageo sought our help to drive the growth of The Singleton, in Singapore and beyond, by creating a flexible mechanic that would:

1. Raise awareness through a physical experience, PR and social media;

2. Drive memorable sampling at scale;

3. Deliver a unique and impactful tasting experience that inspires purchase.

The Singleton VR Tasting Experience begins with the viewer flying through the sky above the Scottish Highlands, then sweeping down to the entrance of the Glen Ord distillery. Upon entering the distillery, the viewer moves past beautiful copper stills and into the warehouse, where hundreds of casks of whisky are 'peacefully slumbering'.

The narrator invites the viewer to 'enter the cask' and guides them through a personal whisky tasting. With a real glass of whisky in hand, the viewer is asked to nose the whisky and discover the aromas present. Proceeding to taste the whisky, the viewer experiences the flavour notes both visually and with their taste-buds, as part of this multi-sensory journey.

The finish of the whisky is then brought to life in 3D before the VR experience concludes with The Singleton's key visual and brand lock-up.

This VR content was created entirely using CGI in order to meet the client's budget and timeline (only two months from brief to delivery). The process involved storyboarding, script-writing, animatics, 3D modelling and rendering, plus the recording of an authentic Scottish voice talent.

The launch activation in Singapore took place at the 2016 Epicurean Market at Marina Bay Sands, a three-day food and wine festival that attracted over 16,000 target consumers.

Brand Ambassadors invited consumers, media and trade partners to participate. They were each handed a branded VR headset, headphones and a dram of The Singleton.

After the success of the launch at Marina Bay Sands, the VR content was rolled out in both on and off-premise venues throughout Singapore. The mobile and scalable nature of this programme has enabled different teams to roll it out and effectively drive both brand awareness and sales.