An inspired collaboration between The Scotch Malt Whisky Society and 26, the national organisation that champions the more creative use of language in business communications.

Some Joy Ride

As well as being a member of 26 and one of the participants, our Damian was one of the project co-ordinators and was responsible for all the communications and the planning of the exhibition.

Earlier this year 26 writers were teamed up with 26 designers, 18 teams north of the border and 8 teams south. These 52 creatives were taken through a Society tasting, at which the colourful language of aroma and taste was explained. The idea of the task ahead was not to emulate this language but to respond to an unidentified whisky as artists not experts, and to use the senses as guides to a creative response, the form of which was to be a unique label.

Each team was given an unidentified sample of cask strength malt whisky. Luckily, they had been asked to keep a journal of the collaborative undertaking that followed – luckily, as the malts evoked some amusing and powerful responses, all of which are recorded in the book 26 MALTS, SOME JOY RIDE designed by So... and published by Cyan Books.

The results of the process have been extraordinarily vibrant and varied: poems, fibs, teasers, salutations, invitations, trompe l’oeils, talking whiskies, responses inspired by tarot and alchemy, bananas and liquorice, rubber tyres and the sweetest of golden honeys. Here are 26 labels liberated from usual brand constraints – an explosion of colour, wit and passion. All testifying to the provocative complexity and allure of Scotch malt whisky and the rich diversity achieved through creative collaboration.

You can see them ‘in situ’ on the bottle at any of the Society's venues – lined up they look like no whisky bar you’ve ever seen before – and displayed flat and framed enabling closer inspection of text and design. For members of the Society there is also the opportunity to buy the bottles, sample the contents themselves and agree or disagree with the creative vision.

26 MALTS, SOME JOY RIDE is published by Cyan Books. RRP £15.00 and available from Amazon.co.uk and all good bookshops.

Images of some of the labels can bee seen HERE…

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So... Creative Communications

one of 26 www.26.org.uk