New blends and a redesign for Scottish Leader

Scottish Leader blended Scotch whiskies, sold in 60 countries, have been revitalised with a new look, an enhanced recipe and the introduction of an additional, very premium Signature blend.

The brand redesign and new blend will be launched globally commencing next month, December, in South Africa. All other international markets will launch from April 2015 onwards.

After 12 months of extensive global consumer research, what is now positioned as the Scottish Leader Original, has been reformulated with improved body and balance. The blend of top malt and grain whiskies is the recipe by Burn Stewart master distiller, Ian MacMillan, and now has a warm, honey sweet and delicately smoky taste with a silky smooth finish. It has also been repackaged to signify the change.

The new, sophisticated Scottish Leader Signature has a more pronounced island malt influence than the Original, with a rich, smoky profile.

Says MacMillan: “The core elements of Scottish Leader Original have not been lost in any way. As a team with over 340 years of collective experience, we've worked incredibly hard to give it more richness and balance but ensure it is still immediately recognisable as the Scottish Leader people around the world have come to appreciate. With Scottish Leader Signature we’ve amplified the malt influence to give Scotch lovers a new, complex and layered offering.

 “Both will appeal to experienced blended drinkers and newcomers, whether they enjoy drinking Scotch neat or with a mixer.”

SA marketing manager, Taygan Govinden says of the new, refreshed packaging: “Modern, tall and proud, the bottle now has clean-edged glass chamfers skillfully designed to show-case the rich gold colours of the whisky. The Scottish Leader ethos is expressed in the new soaring eagle brand icon, an inherently Scottish symbol, which conveys success, vision and power - the characteristics of a great leader and the essence of the Scottish Leader brand.

“The packaging is also influenced by its proud Scottish heritage. With a Celtic typeface and the landscape of Ben Ledi, the highest mountain in the Trossachs, the label reflects its provenance and Highland home.

“These whiskies were crafted to encourage people to share and celebrate occasions, recognising individual and group successes across all aspects of life.”

The glass is bespoke to the Scottish Leader range and has been developed for the re launch by Allied Glass, and the packaging design has been developed by leading international agency, Cartils, based in Amsterdam. 

International pricing will be positioned in the premium end of the blended Scotch category. The RRP’s to be confirmed prior to market launch dates. In South Africa the RRPs will be Scottish Leader Original 75cl
 R139, and Scottish Leader Signature 75cl
 R169.

13 November 2014 - Felicity Murray The Drinks Report, editor