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What was the purpose of the event?

The Macallan wanted to immerse, enchant and educate new and existing consumers about its pioneers, as this experience transcends all the people and stories that have made The Macallan what it is today in celebration of our 200 Year Anniversary. We worked in collaboration with boutique agency Potlatch and leading creative studio Pixel Artworks. 

What can visitors expect to experience?

The Heart Of The Spirit celebrates The Macallan’s 200 Year anniversary, with an immersive digital experience that tells the story of The Macallan’s past, present, and future through dynamic animation, sound design and atmospherics paired with a unique drinking experience. This launched at The Macallan Estate for the first time globally on June 1.

The experience is a voyage through time where the past can be visited, the future can be glimpsed, and travelling back and forth between the two is possible. 

We take time to pause in the present as The Macallan celebrates turning 200 Years Young, and pay tribute to our pioneers, their contribution and dreams, and to all the people and stories that have made The Macallan what it is today. 

Guests enjoy a cocktail and explore our universe through an immersive digital experience featuring animation, sound design and specialist projection techniques. Illustrations by Spanish artist and illustrator Javi Aznarez have been animated to tell this tale. 

Whispers from our past, present and future are narrated in the form of poetry by award-winning Scottish author and poet Jenni Fagan. Guests return to the present day with curated tastings served at The Macallan Bar.

What is the event’s legacy?

The experience will voyage across the world visiting locations including Shanghai, Singapore, New York and Japan in 2024.

We have also developed a virtual reality experience, which is a condensed version of the immersive digital experience, which has been reduced from 18 mins to 7 mins in duration. The VR experience has been designed for use across Owned and Global Travel Retail Boutiques, as well as On-Trade accounts, and is being rolled out across the world.

How does this all fit into The Macallan’s overall marketing strategy?

The role of experiential remains a core element of our marketing strategy, particularly in 2024 when we celebrate our 200 year anniversary. It enables us to bring people together and enjoy authentic human connection through a shared experience.

Experiential allows us to awaken all the senses and for guests to interact with the brand and not only be an observer. The Heart of the Spirit immerses guests in our rich history and invites them to be part of our future.