The Macallan is celebrating its 200th anniversary by releasing two new whiskies in a celebration of the brand’s interpretation of time travel, both of which will be available in global travel retail at select locations, supported by a major launch campaign.
The first whisky is TIME:SPACE – a dual chamber vessel that includes the oldest whisky released by The Macallan at 84 Years Old, as well as a second single malt that marks the first from the brand’s new distillery. With only 200 in existence, one for each year of The Macallan’s History, TIME:SPACE captures a spirit spanning craft across generations.
The vessel has been designed with two chambers – housed in the outer chamber is the 1940 vintage, representing the past. Two casks were hand selected – a first fill American Oak Butt and second fill European Oak Butt – both seasoned with sherry in Jerez de la Frontera and matured in Speyside, Scotland. Bottled at 43.6% ABV, the 84 years of maturation has produced a rich natural color, exceptional depth and richness and full, long-lasting flavor unique to this rare, aged single malt Scotch whisky.
The second release, TIME:SPACE Mastery, is a unique single malt that embraces 200 years of history. TIME:SPACE Mastery took inspiration from past whisky masters and uses 14 different cask types. There are distinct influences from European Oak sherry seasoned casks, American Oak sherry seasoned casks, American Oak Bourbon casks and refill casks. Together, these create layers of complexity and a “voluptuous” depth in aroma, flavor and texture, says the company.
TIME : Space Mastery is housed in a uniquely crafted circular vessel symbolizing the circle of life and the ongoing journey from the past to the future.
The release of TIME:SPACE COLLECTION is accompanied by a global experiential campaign, leading with two hero films that take audiences on a journey through a spiky world where time flows and nature protects what is most precious. The films follow two distinct stories, yet both highlight The Macallan’s intrinsic connection to nature through different characters, animals and plants.
The visual language of this spiky world has been translated into a pop-up design which will be rolled out at eight key airport locations – Guangzhou International, LAX, London Heathrow, Paris CDG, Shanghai Pudong, Doha International, JFK and Singapore Changi.
Central to the shopper journey is an immersive Virtual Reality experience – The Heart of the Spirit – which is delivered through a state of the art headset. The concept features poetry and illustrations by award-winning Scottish novelist Jenni Fagan and celebrated Spanish artist Javi Aznarez.
The shopper journey is further enriched through an Augmented Reality touchpoint, which allows guests to access a wealth of information and storytelling through their own devices, while also encouraging sign-ups to The Macallan Society. The pop-ups feature a ‘Discover Your Expression’ tool, which uses touchscreen technology to take shoppers on a journey of discovery, matching their own personal preferences and tastes to different bottlings of The Macallan.
An extensive OOH display advertising program will also raise awareness and drive footfall at a number of high-profile travel retail locations. From mid-October, campaign visuals will be prominently displayed at 6 airports: Singapore Changi, London Heathrow, Hong Kong International, Dubai International, LAX and Shanghai Pudong.
Jeremy Speirs, Regional Managing Director at Edrington Global Travel Retail, commented: “For launches as captivating and ambitious as The Macallan TIME : SPACE collection, global travel retail is the perfect platform for engaging with global consumers and telling the stories that lie behind these products. Through a strong pop-up program and a widespread media campaign, we’re looking to leverage the rich content and create lasting impressions with shoppers in our channel, while continuing to elevate The Macallan’s positioning.”
The Macallan’s TIME : SPACE is available to purchase through invitation from The Macallan in global travel retail exclusively at The Macallan Boutiques, with price available upon application.
The Macallan’s TIME : SPACE Mastery is available to purchase in global travel retail at The Macallan Boutiques, shop-in-shops and pop-ups, subject to availability and locations.
