Situation: The Macallan wanted to celebrate the launch of the new M Collection during Art Basel Miami Beach (ABMB). Challenges included:

How does The Macallan separate itself where there are hundreds of events and parties happening?

How do we break free of the traditional scotch whisky perceptions and tropes, and showcase the brand in a progressive way?

Brief: Develop a unique, immersive event during Art Basel Miami Beach that heroes The M Collection, in particular the release of M Copper—enhancing The Macallan’s legacy as the ultimate symbol of craftsmanship and creativity.

Objectives:

_Create an event that feels authentic to the artistic roots of ABMB

_Not just “throw a party”

_Reinforce The Macallan as a patron of the arts

_Develop a compelling experience as the liquid can’t be sampled en masse

_M Collection retails at over $1k a glass

_Drive press, brand recall

_Bring Macallan’s Scottish heritage to Miami

The rich colors of The M Collection are the embodiment of The Macallan’s commitment to craftsmanship and dedication to using the finest, 100% natural ingredients. The natural elements of the universe are the foundation of everything, even creativity. Earth, water, fire and air are the building blocks by which artists create–the same artists who created the world of The Macallan M.

The elements are the medium. The Macallan is the muse. Our experience at Art Basel was a sensorial journey through the elements of the World of The Macallan M, designed to serve as a source of creative inspiration for every guest.

A celebration of art and light, we curated a unique live event grounded in artistry, featuring masters of their craft that pushed the limits of artistry through the senses and further anchored The Macallan’s connection with the natural elements.

The Macallan has a longstanding history celebrating artistry and supporting the arts, celebrating and collaborating with institutions and artists including The Guggenheim, Rubell Museum, Sir Peter Blake and Annie Leibovitz.

Art Basel is a cultural icon, bringing together artistry by masters of modern and contemporary art, as well as new generations of emerging stars, for a global audience in Miami, an art epicenter. Art Basel is rooted in the unique attributes of each art piece being displayed, making it the perfect backdrop to celebrate the unique attributes of The Macallan M Collection.

Strategically setting the event on the Friday of Art Basel, The Macallan placed themselves as a premiere event for the week. All partners were considered through the qualifying lens of “masters of their creative crafts” and included James Blake, the NYC Ballet, The Bass Museum, Jorge Méndez Blake, Oscar Zabala, Lalique and an official Art Basel partnership.

Dinner: 40 media and tastemakers hosted for a multicourse vegan dinner around a circular table with choreographed lighting.

Arrival Moment: Illuminated M logo with haze, diffused Macallan scent.

Portal: On the backside of the entrance, an embedded PROTO hologram highlighted 3D modeled bottles of M dancing in and out of elemental formations.

Double Spey Cast: Public art installation built from copper chemetal and LED. Paid homage to the River Spey at the distillery, recreating in shape the traditional fishing technique from the 1800’s.

Beverage Program: Four bars onsite; each backbar was a 12'x8.5' LED–a visual red thread throughout the experience–featuring custom textured videos that showcased the natural elements in M.

Live Performance: James Blake with a surprise performance by the NYC Ballet. All screens/lights choreographed to performance for an audience of 500.

Projection mapping by Oscar Zabala integrated the Art Deco architecture with audio-reactive visuals to James Blake’s performance.

Learnings from our Media Partner, MBooth

Press / Reach

_1.5B+ Media reach with over 34+ Placements including Rolling Stone, Page Six, Harper’s Bazaar, Variety, The Cut (NYMag), Hypebeast, Architectural Digest

Social Reach

_18.2M+ Influencer reach, with 50+ pieces of organic influencer content; surpassing benchmark by 40%

_Macallan brand ambassador posts from event performed 5x better than all other content

_Paid social around the event surpassed CPM and CPE benchmarks by 47% and 90% respectively

Misc.

_97% positive sentiment

_Post event engagement email: +10% Open Rate; +5% CTR