The World’s Most Awarded Single Malt Scotch Whisky unveils a special edition gift pack designed by acclaimed Chinese artist Rlon Wang and two experiential Chinese New Year pop-ups in Sanya, Hainan
Embrace the Lunar New Year holiday spirit by sharing a glass of Scotch Whisky with family and friends. Glenfiddich, of family-owned distiller and distributor William Grant & Sons, has unveiled a special limited-edition Chinese New Year 18 Year Old in an imaginative gift pack designed by the up-and-coming Chinese illustrator Rlon Wang, as well as two experiential travel retail pop-ups for the occasion.
On the back of 2020’s much-loved illustrated pack design for Lunar New Year, Glenfiddich has again partnered with Shenzhen-based artist Rlon Wang to produce a very special limited-edition offering. With last year’s edition exploring the mystique and magic of the royal stag icon and re-imagining the epic journey made over a century ago by Charles Gordon (son-in-law of Glenfiddich founder William Grant), 2021’s offering focuses on the return, and that inimitable feeling of reuniting at home with family and friends. It’s an apt sentiment for Lunar New Year, a festive period that traditionally inspires the biggest global annual human migration, with people travelling countless miles homeward to see loved ones and celebrate together.
The stories inspiring the design all started with one man, Charles Gordon, who famously left Speyside with little more than a few cases of whisky and a dream to bring the ‘Valley of the Deer’ to the world. As with any great departure inevitably comes the return, and he returned a year later, having won the hearts of whisky lovers across Asia with the exquisite Scotch of the Grant family.
The grandeur of the Glenfiddich stag in this year’s artwork again conveys the spirit of the famous oil painting The Monarch of the Glen and is at the centrepiece of a maelstrom of exquisite depictions. From dancing lions to barrel-carrying balloons, Rlon’s illustrative style brings plenty of hidden gems to spot each time you pick up the pack. Scottish and Asian elements combine wonderfully in a warming evocation of the long-standing connection between two cultures.
Wang says, “I wanted to tell a story that evokes the warmth and excitement of Lunar New Year – the irreplaceable feeling and anticipation of finally coming home to loved ones. Inspired by the Glenfiddich spirit of experimentation and adventure, I created an illustration that comes alive with symbols of generations old and new. I loved playing with the symbiosis of Chinese and Scottish cultures – two connected countries on opposite sides of the world.”
As a former student of traditional Chinese painting, but with a distinctly contemporary style, Wang was the perfect artist to tell this story. His colourful, multi-layered illustration takes inspiration from personal memories of family gatherings at Lunar New Year, as well as the symbolic meaning of deer in Chinese folk tales, where the animal often represents long life and good fortune.
The limited-edition design appears on the Glenfiddich 18 Year Old pack, a rich, intriguingly fruity and robust oak expression matured in Spanish Oloroso wood and American oak by Malt Master Brian Kinsman. Every batch is individually numbered and carefully watched over; each has extraordinary consistency and character from an intense marrying period, and a warming, distinguished finish. An exceptional single malt, this whisky is the result not just of eighteen years of care and attention, but of whisky-making craft and knowledge passed down through the generations.
Further emphasising the brand’s commitment to the travel retail market in China, Glenfiddich has also introduced Chinese New Year popups that will run until the end of March at China Duty Free Mall and end of February at Lagardère Duty Free in Sanya, Hainan. Each experiential limited-run pop-up offers consumers the opportunity to taste the flagship Glenfiddich 18 Year Old and 21 Year Old, enjoy gift premiums with purchase and participate in a Chinese New Year draw with exciting prizes. Part of Glenfiddich’s commitment to support travel retail partners, these pop-ups were designed to not just bring Rlon’s beautiful illustration to life, but to offer a contemporary take on the Chinese lantern, bringing this Spring festival to life and inspiring our clients to bring a gift worth bringing home.
“Despite the challenging year we had last year, we see green shoots emerging slowly but surely in the region, and being a family-owned company has afforded us the opportunity to invest ahead in the channel for the longer term. Our investments in the channel reflect the continued confidence our executive board has and our commitment to our partners,” says Matthew Williams, Regional Director of GTR – Asia Pacific & Middle East for William Grant & Sons, “There are great opportunities for our portfolio throughout Asia Pacific, and particularly in China for the Lunar New Year occasion, and we look forward to continuing to deliver exceptional consumer experiences with our valuable partners such as CDF Group and Lagardère both in-store and online.”
To further amplify the pop-ups and drive awareness, Glenfiddich is collaborating with some of China’s leading KOLs on WeChat and Weibo to showcase some of the exclusive products available and a little sneak peak of the promotions and experience consumers can expect when they visit. Participating KOLs include Feekr, 阿Sam 的午夜場 Moli, 劉子恒 and 扎堆在三亚. The KOL content is supplemented by a partnership with Da Zhong Dian Ping 大众点评, a top food and lifestyle review website in China, with over 30 Key Opinion Consumers creating content to amplify the reach and awareness to drive traffic to the pop-up space.
The Glenfiddich range has received more awards since 2000 than any other single malt Scotch whisky in two of the world’s most prestigious competitions, the International Wine & Spirit Competition and the International Spirits Challenge.
