WILDMOOR
A new luxury whisky brand, drawn from a legendary stash of high-aged malts and inspired by Scotland’s wildest reaches. A truly epic project.
It began when William Grant & Sons entrusted Malt Master Brian Kinsman with their famed “ancient reserves”: a prized collection of whisky stocks sourced by the family over decades. Rare and full of character, they came from every corner of Scotland, and many of them were very old indeed.
Brian had to do something seriously special with these liquid riches. He decided to strike out for uncharted territory and explore flavours far beyond whisky’s familiar regional constraints. He would create a series of special blends inspired by the rugged beauty of the wilderness.
Brand creation
Our job was to give Brian’s vision an identity by delivering a fresh take on Scotch. Instead of stags and pretty glens, we set out to celebrate the more dramatic, elemental aspects of the Scottish landscape.
Inspired by brands like Moncler and Canada Goose, we wanted to situate the brand in the orbit of the outdoor luxury consumers. We looked to the minimal elegance of Japanese whisky brands rather than those closer to home.
To evoke the uncompromising natural beauty of the Highlands and Islands, we decided to call the brand Wildmoor. Miraculously, the name was still available.
BEYOND THE GLEN
We were developing a brand with a big, rich story. There was plenty to write.
I created the ‘Whisky More Wild’ tagline, encapsulating our key selling point in a way that echoes the brand name itself. Then there was the naming of seven variants, each inspired by a different wilderness, with detailed flavour notes. From Ancient Moorland to Tropical Coast, we imagined the range as an immersive flavour map of wild Scotland.
Every element was crucial. We took a photographer on a month-long wilderness expedition through Skye, Assynt and the Cairngorms to capture imagery for the outer packaging and key visuals. For the bottle, we used a topographical model of the Central Highlands to apply a three-dimensional relief to the surface, turning the glass itself into a slice of the rugged landscape.
WHISKY MORE WILD
BLACK MOUNTAIN: THE PINNACLE
The Wildmoor range tops out at Black Mountain, an extraordinary blend of supremely rare grain and Highland malts with a minimum age of 40 years. Finished in Pedro Ximenez casks, this bottle retails at close to £1,000. Not your everyday dram.
Agency: LOVE.
Creative direction: Dave Palmer, Chris Jeffreys
Design director: Nick Johnson
Video and photography: Adrift Visuals