Food & Drink

Talisker Whisky Storms London With Harsh Weather Installation

May 10, 2013 By Randy Matheson Leave a Comment

Coming from the east coast of Canada I grew up with unpredictable weather. I’m sure most people who grow up near the ocean are familiar with the expression, “If you don’t like the weather, wait 10 minutes.” The Isle of Skye, located on the northwest coast of Scotland is certainly one of those environments whose weather is at the influence and whim of the sea.

The only distiller to call the Isle of Sky home is Talisker. At the beginning of this year the distillery introduced a bold new whisky dubbed Talisker Storm. To celebrate it’s launch the brand along with Vivid Design Works created a 25 foot tall interactive storm installation, bringing dark clouds, high wind and driving rain to the area outside the Design Museum in London.

People passing by were handed a raincoat and umbrella, and for those who managed to brave the weather a well-deserved glass of Talisker Storm was waiting.

[via Branding Magazine]

Filed Under: Food & Drink, Stunt Tagged With: distillery, Isle of Skye, Talisker Whiskey, UK

Weetabix UK Uses “Pay-by-Picture” to Distribute Free Samples of Breakfast Snack

April 24, 2013 By Randy Matheson Leave a Comment

In recent years brands have been experimenting with ways to connect TV content with mobile devices, including apps such as Shazam that deliver coupons based on matching audio ‘fingerprints’, or any number of desperate attempts to have viewers jump up off the couch to capture QR codes on their screen.

Weetabix has removed the app from the equation and is offering a free sample of their “On The Go” breakfast biscuits for anyone who captures a picture of a TV ad with their smartphone or tablet. The #TAKETHEBISCUIT ad, which appeared during a commercial break of ITV soap Emmerdale process is dubbed “Pay-by-Picture”, requires the viewer to bring their picture into a participating Boots store to receive their free sample.

“It is undoubtedly a brave move to replace financial currency with social currency, but we’re hoping that the 55% of people that currently use their smartphone whilst watching TV will take part in the unique retail initiative, try our new breakfast biscuit and become long-term customers,” said Weetabix brand manager Ben Cooper.

[via The Grocer]

Filed Under: Food & Drink Tagged With: Pay-by-Picture, UK, Weetabix

Warburtons Creates Limited Edition “All-Ends” Loaf for Facebook Fans

April 23, 2013 By Randy Matheson Leave a Comment

Some people may call it the noggin’ or the heel, while it seems most refer to the front and back slices of a loaf of bread simply as the “ends”.

When UK baking firm Warburtons posted an image of a new bread product called “All-Ends” on April Fools Day, most people got the joke. However, within the hundreds of Comments were several from people hoping that the product was real.

Due to the response, Warburtons decided to turn the joke into reality and a create a limited number of the “All Ends” for their most enthusiastic Facebook fans.

[via The Drum]

Filed Under: Food & Drink Tagged With: april fools, bread, loaf, UK, Warburtons

Ballantine’s Celebrates Its 12-year-old Scotch With Creation of Custom Typeface

April 7, 2013 By Randy Matheson Leave a Comment

Whisky-maker Ballantine’s has collaborated with Work Club and Scottish Illustrator Steven Bonner to create a custom typeface inspired by tasting notes in it’s 12-year-old Scotch.

Bonner created illustrated letterforms for B (berries), C (cream), V (vanilla) and H (honey), which are the most noticeable tasting notes of the whisky.

Ballantine’s fans can visit the whisky-maker’s website to create a custom Facebook cover image using the typeface.

[via Paste]

Filed Under: Art & Design, Food & Drink Tagged With: Ballantine's, font, Scotch, Steven Bobnner, typeface, UK, whisky, Work Club

Thirsty for Frozen Cherry-Lime Sauza-Rita? Why Not Make it With a Lifeguard

April 6, 2013 By Randy Matheson Leave a Comment

Firemen and lifeguards may not be getting much respect at AXE these days (where astronauts rule), but Sauza Tequila still has work for these shirt-challenged hunks.

Last April, Sauza and ad agency Havas recruited a fireman (and a kitten in a beret) to demonstrate how to create a Sauza-Rita, while still fanning the flames of women everywhere. This time the tequila brand has gone seaside with a lifeguard (and a puppy), and he’s cooling things down with instructions on how to blend-up a Frozen Cherry-Lime Sauza-Rita.

- 3 cups of ice
- can of lime-ade
- cherry soda
- light beer
- Sauza

The ad isn’t without controversy, and it has everything to do with Anderson Davis, the actor portraying the shirtless lifeguard is also featured sans shirt in a very similar feeling ad for Kraft Zesty Dressing released only days before the Sauza ad was posted.

It turns out that the commercials were both shot within days of each other back in February, with Davis apparently making no mention of the campaign similarities to either agency. However, both ads appear to be heavily influenced by the 2010 Old Spice ads with Isaiah Mustafa.

[via BrandChannel]

Filed Under: Food & Drink Tagged With: Havas, lifeguard, Sauza, Tequila, USA

The Heinz Flavour Experience Includes Spoon That Plays Music in Your Mouth

March 29, 2013 By Randy Matheson Leave a Comment

Beans, beans, the musical fruit. The more you eat, the more you toot. You could probably rattle off the rest of that schoolyard rhyme off by heart.

With music in mind, Heinz in collaboration with food architects Bompas & Parr (they create jelly sculptures) have launched the Heinz Flavour Experience. The experience, complete with handcrafted bowls and a musical spoon. has been designed to tap into all five senses of UK bean lovers, by combining sound, taste, touch, sight and smell to create a sensory experience influenced by the five varieties of Heinz Flavoured Beanz.

The musical spoon included with each package, is an MP3 player that can only be heard once it’s placed in your mouth and gently bit down on. The sound then travels through your jawbone to your hopefully hungry ears. Each flavour comes with a matching style of music, including the sounds of Punjabi Bhangra play to match Heinz Beanz Curry Flavour. Yes, there’s a Bollywood party happening in your mouth. Others experiences such as Fiery Chilli are accompanied by up-tempo Latin samba, and Barbecue Flavour features the sounds of the blues.

A limited number of the five Heinz Beanz Flavour Experiences are available exclusively at London retailer, Fortnum & Mason. In 1886, the store was the first to stock Heinz Beanz.

[via Dezeen]

Filed Under: Food & Drink Tagged With: Bompass & Parr, Heinz, UK

Carlsberg Launches Somersby Cider in UK with Apple Store Parody Ad

March 27, 2013 By Randy Matheson 1 Comment

An ad announcing the UK launch of Carlsberg-owned Somersby Cider parodies the craziness that occurs around a typical Apple tech product launch.

A line-up of fans are unleashed into ‘The Somersby Store’ where they interact with cider-geniuses, who assist users with such challenges as how to ‘interface’ with the cider, and how to make the product work with normal docking systems. It even works between two people, “One click. Boom, you’re connected” explains one of the store staff to a bewildered couple.

‘The Somersby Store’ was created by London agency Fold7, and directed by Mat Kirkby for RSA Films.

Filed Under: Food & Drink Tagged With: Carlsberg, Fold7, Somersby Cider, UK

Smirnoff Shows Support for Same-Sex Marriage With Perfect Pairings

March 26, 2013 By Randy Matheson Leave a Comment

With the U.S. Supreme Court set to begin hearings into two laws critical to the rights of same-sex couples to marry, vodka brand Smirnoff made it clear where they stand with a Facebook status update showing their support for the cause.

The image titled “Every Pairing is Perfect” shows three cocktail couplings of what I am guessing are Cosmopolitans (vodka, triple sec, lime juice and cranberry juice), all of which I agree are perfect.

Cheers!

Filed Under: Food & Drink Tagged With: facebook, same sex marriage, Smirnoff, USA, vodka

Toronto Sandwich Shop Creates Bacon Deal for ‘Pig-Shaped’ Runs

March 21, 2013 By Randy Matheson Leave a Comment

Bacon-lovers in Toronto will be lacing up their runners and jumping on their bikes to earn themselves a 30% discount from Rashers, a bacon-only sandwich shop.

The restaurant’s new promotion ‘Run the Pig’ is out to reach runners and cyclists when they are at their hungriest – right after exercising. To earn their bacon, people are asked to use a mobile-app (such as Nike+ Running) to track their run or ride around a pig-shaped course of their own creation, ending at Rashers restaurant at 948 Queen Street East.

The restaurant is also using their Twitter profile @rashers to tempt bacon-starved Toronto-area runners who have shared their completed Nike+ Running status.

The campaign was created by the bacon-loving folks at OgilvyOne in Toronto.

[via Newswire]

Filed Under: Food & Drink, Mobile Tagged With: bacon, Canada, exercise, GPS, Nike, OgilvyOne, Rashers, restaurant, toronto

Stunt Performers Tumble Down Mountain in Australian Ad for Schweppes

March 10, 2013 By Randy Matheson Leave a Comment

In a new Australian ad for Schweppes, a man somersaults, or as my mother used to say, “falls ass over tea kettles” down a snowy mountainside to the classical strains of Gilbert & Sullivan’s ‘HMS Pinafore’.

As the man continues his fall through a grassy hillside and lush forest he’s joined by more tumbling people, before their gravity-fed experience comes to a splashing end in a pristine pool of bubbly water. The ad was shot in various locations on the north and south islands of New Zealand.

The spectacular ad, appropriately titled ‘Tumble’, was created by the Melbourne office of George Patterson Y&R, and directed by Steve Rogers for Revolver.

To create the spectacular tumbling performances, the stunt people used a combination of freestyle actions, air ramps and huge towers with complex rigging set ups that were removed in post-production.