Glenlivet campaign redefining 'typical' whisky drinker

The Glenlivet says it is on a mission "to change the outdated stereotype of the whisky drinker" with its new #BreakTheStereotype campaign.

In a bid to celebrate diversity and representation within whisky, the Speyside single malt brand is planting a series of images online to showcase the diverse modern faces of the whisky-drinking public - while simultaneously dismantling the myth perpetuated by popular culture that whisky is the sole preseve of "middle-aged, white men".

It comes after The Glenlivet owner Pernod Ricard conducted a survey on how the 'modern whisky drinker' has evolved, which revealed that one-third of whisky drinkers now identify as female. However, Google Images searches conducted by the company in parallel with the survey found that the results for 'whisky drinker' showed a disproportionate number of white men.

To challenge this, The Glenlivet is purposefully planting images in online search engines to alter the results of a search for 'whisky drinker', to more accurate showcase the full spectrum of the modern whisky community to searchers.

Miriam Eceolaza, global marketing director of The Glenlivet and Single Malts at Pernod Ricard, said: "#BreakTheStereotype continues The Glenlivet's pioneering heritage and shows that we will never by held back by limiting preconceptions. We know there is a diverse range of whisky fans across the globe and that continues to grow - yet the old stereotype surrounding whisky remains. [It's] time for us to change that."

The photographs used for the campaign were captured by Danny Kasirye, a Ugandan-British photographer and director, and Devyn Galindo, a queer Chicanx artist and photographer based in California.

In a continuing bid to promote diversity in whisky, The Glenlivet has partnered with Equal Measures, an organisation founded to achieve greater equality for ethnic minorities and marginalised groups in hospitality, to support its education and mentoring scheme.

Deano Moncrieffe, founder of Equal Measures, said: "We're delighted to be announcing our partnership wtih The Glenlivet for the launch of #BreakTheStereotype, and especially to be working with a company that shares our values and the vision that became Equal Measures. We hope to make the drinks industry a more welcoming and inclusive place, not only for those who work within bars, but at every level of the drinks industry."

2 June 2022 - Bethany Whymark