I know this is an advertisement for booze, but I've rarely seen such an ad constructed so elegantly. Go for a stroll with Robert Carlyle as he narrates the story of Johnnie Walker in this beautifully shot and immaculately rehearsed commercial which is said to have been filmed in one take.
Without the likes of Johnnie Walker and his determination Scotland would be a much poorer place. Where are our Johnnie Walker's of today? Our entrepreneurs who believe in manufacturing instead of moving money around? Is it our education system which is failing to produce such talent or is the talent being stifled by political regulations? So many questions. So few answers.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
21 comments:
Walking to Leven...
Yes, most definitely a damn good advert SR. In answer to your question - talent is stifled by our education system dictated by our politicians, hence we have no talent, no entrepeneurs. Youth of today are being educated in the art of having someone else do their thinking for them - those doing the thinking are our political class with a common purpose which provides the democratised dictatorship I witter on about so much!
Excellent except for the beginning which I think devalues the entire film. Why is he gratuitously rude to the piper rather than thanking him?
Aye, good wee trailer.
But hang oan a minute. It's nae in the family noo. ...an yon protest rally ah attended in Kilmarnock about closures. Now whit wid that Johnnie fella huv tae say about some foreign conglomerate daein the walkin all over his good name?
Aye times huv moved oan. Mibee yon Carlyle fella should huv been mair historically accurate
...an telt us tae get oan oor bikes an start pedallin round ra world.
Fae Edinburgh Conan? He's no' walkin' oan water. :)
I enjoy your witterings WfW because I, and I'm sure many others, agree with them.
Our society needs a better education for our children. Unless we fix the basics nothing will change.
Woodsy, I think it's a bit of an 'in' bit of Scottish humour. We're a dour lot.
Wisnaeme, I don't know when it was made but obviously it was before the closures or the family wouldn't have given their approval.
Apologies if you think I'm misleading anyone. It wasn't intentional. It was the fact that we don't seem to have intuitive, determined people any more or are they hampered by red tape and take their thoughts abroad?
It was made at the same time as the plant closure was going on because there was absolute outrage at the £350,000 that this video cost to make (two days of filming, fees, production costs) so while it is a great wee video, any time I see it I wonder how many jobs could have stayed on a little bit longer if it hadn't been made.
Your point is valid though.
Aye, I took my thoughts abroad...and myself for I wisnae goan ony where fast in Scotland thirty odd years ago. Not that ah'm free of the red tape now, on the contrary in my profession down here, they canna manufacture it fast enough to satisfy their needs.
Hi SR. Advert or not, a great film.
Entrepreneurs are still around, but they have to combat a very dumbed down education, and when they do try something , elf'n safety will probably stop them. Or red tape !
And you would have to admit that the product wasn't a 'hard sell', there were plenty of customers !
It is a superb advert Apogee. One of the best I've seen since the Martini ones way back.
No it's not a hard sell, but I admire the producers for making an advert with substance. Am I getting old?
Please don't reply.
Where are our entrpreneurs?
And where, come to that, are Johnny Walker? Didn't they just close down in Kilmarnock?
I suppose it's all being made in China now, by people who work for 50p a week or something, and don't have to follow any EU regulations or Health and Safety rules.
Such is life.
I'm informed Johnnie has moved to Fife WY, but have yet to have that confirmed.
This is slick and brilliant, the timing is impecable which is great credit to Robert Carlyle, how he managed to remember the lines so spot on is a feat in itself.
Its sad that I got well and truly blotto on whisky on my 19th birthday (a bloody long time ago!) and was ill for a week after - I've never touch a drop since from that night to this day - real ale is my tipple.
I had a similar experience once at a Highland wedding Derek and never drank the stuff for years. Couldn't even stand the smell.
However I was given a bottle of a fine malt for my 60th and had to open it to toast the donator. It was smooth and mild.
I'm still no great fan of Scotch but the odd glass of good malt is never rejected now. :)
It's a lot better than a spruced up Conan telling us to "Go Compare"
Sorry Conan, couldn't help it!
He he RA. :)
Agree with the other Derek! A great advert made so by superb timing.
Never liked JW myself, but a cracking piece of filming (save the "piper - shut it"). Other than that, well delivered.
I liked Carlyle in 'The Last Enemy'.
obviously it was before the closures or the family wouldn't have given their approval.
Sorry Subrosa, but there isn't a family. That is part of the illusion BBH creates.
The Daily Record tracked down the surviving relative, Betty Heath, 77 of Thurso, and interviewed her last year. She has no apparent shareholding in Diageo, or at least, not one she mentioned.
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2009/08/05/exclusive-last-surviving-relative-of-johnnie-walker-accuses-diageo-of-betraying-whisky-workers-and-her-family-86908-21572237/
Assuming the family had a shareholding in the 1925 Distillers Company Ltd configuration, it might be interesting to know at which point they sold them or if the shares simply passed to other estates on their death. However, to find out what exactly the shareholding (if any) and basis of the 1925 company was requires access to the archives which are thought to be down in the Diageo vaults somewhere.
There was somebody claiming to be part of the Walker family, down in Tewksbury, selling a writing slope on ebay last month, but it might be one of those things people say to move on old bits and bobs.
You're possibly spot on WoaR. I did q quick google before I wrote the post and only found the Wiki entry.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnnie_Walker
Once it was acquired by Guinness that was it finished because, along with Dewars, it still was a major player when it was part of the Distillers Company.
I would doubt anyone would hold shares now with it having being handed on so much.
Post a Comment