The Macallan - a storied whisky producer - has been working with MATTE on rebranding and reaching new audiences in the United States. With nearly 200 years of production, the Macallan wanted to make a splash by re-introducing their craftsmanship and cultural cache in Art Basel 2022.

The Macallan brand had a control on its supply-demand, but was stagnant in precious mindshare. Our challenge was to re-engage a complacent luxury audience while re-igniting a dormant base of aspirational customers with brand-led activations, tastings, and cultural experiences that spoke not only to the brand’s history but also to the exciting future.

We brought our cultural strategy to life with activations like Art Basel x James Blake. Our activation involved institutions that enjoy a more traditional cultural caché, like the Bass Museum and New York City Ballet, and fused them with visions of the future, via a performance from James Blake and visualizals from Oscar Zabala. This hybrid-approach reintroduced The Macallan to aspirational and luxury consumers, as an essential, timeless institution that remains relevant within the zeitgeist.

The activation was completely bespoke, with four bars that decorated with textured videos to showcase the natural elements represented by each bottle in The M Collection. Inside the Bass Museum, a small group of VIP guests were invited to a curated dinner experience inspired by the contemporary arts. Plinths displayed a collection of crystal decanters from Lalique, filled with rare Macallan whiskey. Both indoor and outdoor, the experience brought together old world elegance and contemporary luxury.