Ballantine's x RZA
Combining whisky with the world of showbiz seems to offer endless marketing opportunities. Directing the attention of crowds of fans of a selected artist to a product - for example, a beverage - dedicated to him, or signed by him, must significantly increase sales. There's already been a beer by Metallica, Iron Maiden, there's been a Tennessee whiskey by Frank Sinatra, and Bob Dylan has gone so far as to not only give bourbon a name taken vividly from his hit song, but has even started his own distillery. We are, of course, talking about Heaven's Door bourbon.
Pernod Ricard-owned Ballantine's brand has recently released editions of its entry-level whisky, Ballantine's Finest, dedicated to rock groups Queen and AC/DC. These were limited editions that differed from the standard ones only in the packaging, which featured the logos of the listed artists. This time, however, a step further was taken.
Ballantine's 7 American Barrel x RZA Limited Edition is a whisky created in collaboration with RZA (owner of the. Robert Fitzgerald Diggs), leader of the iconic hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan as part of their joint Stay True campaign. The producer says this whisky was inspired by poetry created by RZA during his stay in Scotland, left by the American artist in the library of the brand's founder, George Ballantine. The whisky label features designs created from words handwritten by the artist, and the limited edition is meant to embody the combination of Scotch whisky and the American lifestyle.
According to RZA, his first visit to Speyside, the scenery and people there, inspired him to put the experience on paper in the form of a poem. The bottle's design, according to the American artist, is meant to express the true meeting of the two cultures.
Ballantine's 7 American Barrel x RZA is a whisky matured for 7 years, finished in American oak casks to highlight these links between two cultures - Scottish and American.
The new edition of the whisky is expected to be available soon in select liquor stores at a retail price of £29.99 per bottle.
The year-long collaboration between the Ballantine's brand and RZA includes a limited-edition special edition model of the brand's Crosley turntable, as well as the Montero Bluetooth speaker. Collaborations have been established with the clothing brand Neighborhood, and relatively recently, the Flying Goose hot sauce, which is also part of this collaboration, has been on the market.
In 2022, the Pernod Ricard-owned Chivas Regal brand partnered with K-pop star Lisa, resulting in the release of a special edition 18-year-old Chivas Regal signed by her. In contrast, another member of the Wu-Tang Clan, Raekwon, has tied up with the Legacy Wines and Spirits group in 2021. In our Polish backyard we also have similar examples. Suffice it to mention here, for example, the whisky editions released by the House of Whisky and prepared in cooperation with our native rapper Pih, or Adam Piechocki.
[06.03.2024 / photo: Ballantine's]