TASTE TRAILBLAZERS
Client Laphroaig
Role Creative, Treatment, Art-direction, Direction
Year 2022
Laphroaig had a mission, to broaden their horizons and reach out to a new type of whisky drinker who was as invested in the pursuit of flavour as they were in the craft and expertise that achieves it.
My initial concept was to partner with Michelin Star Fire Chef Francis Mallmann and invite him to Islay to experience the island, distillery and whisky firsthand. What developed was an incredible friendship between Francis & Distillery Manager Barry Macaffer. We captured their journey, chronicling a shared appreciation of craft, the similarities and differences between these two behemoths of taste and the mutual respect garnered from the ingenuity of a tiny island community.
The 20 min film was shot across five days, on location, on Islay - just off the north west coast of Scotland. This was the first time Laphroaig had ever made something like this and it was a real labour of love to bring it to life. I wrote the film, it’s structure, treatment and production brief before engaging a lead director and production studio, we then continued a collaborative process refining the narrative and onboarding the client and talent. On the shoot itself I co-directed and art-directed ensuring the creative vision was fulfilled. I was also directed the edit along with sound and grade.
Taste Trailblazers has received excellent critical reception after its preview screenings and official premier in New York. It has been submitted for a number of awards and is available to view in its entirety on Laphroaig’s website.
