In the latest episode of Ballantine's “Stay True Stories” series created by M&C Saatchi Sport and Entertainment and M&C Saatchi London, the Pernod Richard-owned scotch whisky brand have teamed up with South African electronic musician and DJ, Black Coffee and Novemba of the Cap Gun Collective. The new film, which is a latest in a series of films featuring individuals who embody the brand's “Stay true, leave an impression” positioning and shot in different locations around the world, was shot in and around Johannesburg, South Africa. It follows the musician as he discusses his life in music and assembles a 40-strong group of African vocalists to perform “Rock My World,” one of Black Coffee's best-known songs.
The new film follows the musician and DJ Black Coffee as he discusses his life in music and assembles a 40-strong group of African vocalists
Alongside the new ad, Ballantine's will also be launching a new digital content hub at the Stay True Stories website, which will host all of the Stay True Stories released so far and other content associated with the campaign, as well as links to the brand's social media profiles. Other films in the series have featured freestyle skateboarder Kilian Martin, London drum prodigy Ben Mead, Chilean bassist Juan Manuel Aguirre and professional golfer Ian Poulter. The new ad will also be supported by a print campaign, which will run in South Africa for nine months, and will be supplemented by outdoor and below-the-line executions and an online media campaign run by Vizeum.
Ballentine's presents Black Coffee's Human Orchestra
Black Coffee says that “Musical experimentation and its power to bring people together” is the reason he became a musician and when Ballatine's asked him about his dream experiment, he wanted “The challenge to do something unique.” Few would argue that the resulting ad (above) is anything but. Peter Moore, Ballantine's global brand director, said the series of films is “Proving to be a multi layered and effective way of communicating what Ballantine’s stands for globally, in a way that is both entertaining and unique.” He adds that "Whilst the campaign is, from a global perspective, mostly digitally focused,” he believes that their association with Black Coffee in South Africa “Will serve to make even more impact in such a key market going forwards."
Peter Moore, Ballantine's global brand director, believes the series of films is “Proving to be a multi layered and effective way of communicating what Ballantine’s stands for
The film will be shared across the brand's global and local social media channels and Black Coffee's 1.5 million cumulative followers. Black Coffee will also be participating in a series of media interviews to support the campaign, including an interview with the world's leading cultural trends site Hypebeat. Future campaigns are also in production across three continents, and will be appearing sporadically between now and June next year.
Official Stay True Stories Website
Official M&C Saatchi Sport and Entertainment Website
Official M&C Saatchi London Website
Benjamin Hiorns is a freelance writer and musician from Kidderminster in the UK who always take his coffee black. But then he is far from a morning person.
