Scotch is under pressure. In India, the focus marketplace for our brief, market penetration of Scotch is just 2.7%, compared to 48% for all forms of whisky. Align this with the general perception of Scotch - aspirational but often pretentious – and a problem starts to emerge.

Scotch is in danger of becoming an irrelevant liquid for younger consumers, due to its high price point and ‘stuffy’ old-world status. For a category relying on emerging middle-class consumers for growth, this is a big challenge.

Our job was to rewrite the narrative around Scotch, introducing a smaller, more accessible and more affordable format to a brand-new audience.

Small-format consumption was already part of everyday culture in India, but it looked very dusty and dated, so our focus had to be more ‘status driven’: a contemporary solution that also allowed us to stay true to Scotch’s timeless appeal.

So, with self-expression at the heart of our thinking, we started to think about how we could create access to Scotch in a new way. Our aim was to give our audience an opportunity to make a statement about their identity, and to break away from the conventions and expectations of the category. We wanted consumers to enjoy Scotch wherever, whenever and however they want – not how they were ‘told’ to drink it.

‘The Hipster’ was born. A portable whisky format inspired by the shape and proportion of a mobile phone. Scotch ready for ANY occasion.

Flexible, fluid, contemporary and stylish, The Hipster became the ideal accessory for a new type of consumer; those who navigate the world of travel, food & drink, retail and personal relationships through a lens of independence, influence, inclusivity, and identity.

From sketch to store, we designed, developed and delivered ‘The Hipster’ with incredible attention to detail across the entire Diageo India Scotch portfolio.

Helping to reframe the perception and consumption of Scotch in India, The Hipster has become an exciting, convenient and individualistic format with high flaunt value. It has also been demonstrating huge potential to recruit young millennials in casual get-togethers and lively hangout occasions, which is classically underserved by Scotch.

The Hipster is all set to deliver Net Sales Value of GBP 7m in F20 (July to June period). The forecast before launch was GBP 4.5m NSV.

The Hipster has also been able to garner +12.6% pack share gain (within 18cl SKU) and +1.9% Overall Scotch (Bottled in India) share gain (all SKUs included) in F20 H1.

The Hipster (18cl SKU) has contributed to 11% of BII Scotch sales (*in States/ geographies where Hipster was launched) in H1 F20; B&W Hipster leads the pack with 36% salience (of overall Hipster sales).

Source – internal data.