The brand icon that’s head of the herd
The enduring story of the Glenfiddich stag icon
It’s hard to believe that our Glenfiddich stag icon is 12 years old this year.
We can’t tell you how proud we are that it’s become such a distinctive, powerful and enduring icon over the last decade and a bit. Subtly tweaked again recently, it still perfectly represents the independence, strength and status of Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky today. And is even more central to their maverick brand world than ever before.
We wanted to stop and celebrate. In a world of constant brand revolution, it has stood the test of time. It still feels fresh and modern. Proud and progressive.
Our brief back in 2014 was to make it head of the herd again. The stag first appeared in the mid-1960s on the US label in stylised form – but then became pretty consistent globally from 1968 to 2007. In design terms, it lost its way a little after that, simplified too much, losing the 12 points on its antlers that marked its status as a royal stag.
Creatively, we decided to bring the icon back to The Monarch of the Glen, the Edwin Landseer painting, that was the original inspiration. So, we lifted the stag’s head. Added dynamism. Reinstated his 12 antler tines. Gave him back his confidence and stature. Turned him alpha.
But crafting an icon is one thing – making it meaningful is another thing altogether. So, to celebrate its continued iconic status, we wanted to raise a dram to the people, teams, markets and agencies who ran with the stag so boldly and brilliantly.
From packaging and POS to F1 cars and comms, it’s been elevated more than we could have imagined, making it one of the most recognised and relevant brand icons in the world.
We raise a dram of Glenfiddich 12 Year Old to the whole global herd.