Nicola Benedetti makes a commercial for whisky
NewsThe violinist and Edinburgh Festival director has composed and performedthe music for a commercial documentary celebrating the bucolic virtues of The Macallan malt whisky.
They say:
‘The Macallan collaborated with Nicola Benedetti to create a powerful reflective piece to retrace Captain John Grant’s story through music and bring to life the animated film,’ said Jaume Ferras, global creative director at The Macallan.
‘Nicola Benedetti shares The Macallan’s values of creativity and craftsmanship and dedication to the continuous pursuit of perfection. She also embodies the community spirit which lies at the heart of our brand, having recently set up The Benedetti Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to providing quality music education.’
Not sure we see the connection.
But we’ll let her buy us a drink.
NB: Before anyone complains about the spelling, in Scotland ‘whisky’ is spelled without an ‘e’
Shallow and populist.
How so, Nick? Do explain it to us.
I get where Nick is coming from – the imagery is somewhat formulaic and clichéd but it’s rescued for me by the mercurial Ms Benedetti and her music.
what a wonderful ad … the real scotch spirit ( and literally too 😉 ) … speaking about musical part of it I reminisce of “Tale of Tsar Saltan” opera by Rimsky-Korsakov and his Scheherazade suite, some related tunes to my ears …. totally brilliant … in my opinion, of corse 😉
What a great ad and isn’t Nicola gorgeous and Macallen is not a bad whisky although I’m more an Islay malt man. Also it’s all going to help her foundation which is changing the lives of young Scots.
Gotta pay the bills, just like everyone else.
I’ll drink to that! My partner bought me a Macallan 18 year old bottle for my birthday. Oh oh my, it is soooo smooooooth. Benedetti made a good choice.
Why not?
Excellent violinist.
Cheers!
Or, more appropriately in this context: Sláinte!
I surely want to have a drink with her…fantastic musician,wonderful,emphatic,intelligent,caring,lovely person.An doing great work with her foundation…
she’s not the edinburgh festival director yet!
Let’s normalise musicians branching out into other areas of work if they want to, yes?
Oh, yeah, so my doctor can then go out as a vet to my cat???? Why does she have to do it? So short of money or a populist thing? To promote classical music to whisky drinkers? Much easier to do than playing a concerto for sure and much more easy money. You’d all complain if it were Nigel Kennedy, or Netrebko or Kaufman. What’s the difference other than she’s not singing and sexifying whisky?? Obviously I’m in the minority here so wait for the vultures next to attack me!
Maria,
I certainly wouldn’t attack you 🙂
I believe that this is a way of her obtaining support for the Benedetti Foundation which helps provide music education and encouragement to young (and other) people.
She is passionate and determined to promote music education, which helps people grow and develop. She is very much respected and appreciated, just take a look at what the foundation is starting to do.
Surely, this is a win/win situation for a Scottish product, her and the students, who otherwise may not have the chance to participate in music.
Sorry to state the obvious – follow the money. No need to look anywhere else.
If NB promoted a cigarette or junk food company there would be uproar. How come it is ok for her to take money from a whiskey (sic) company?
What does “whiskey (sic)” mean? It is perfectly clear throughout that the correct spelling is “whisky,” and that is how it is spelled in the story. What are you “sic”-ing about?
Excuse me: the correct formation is that outside Scotland some people spell “whisky” with an “e.” (I know they do in Ireland; I have no idea what they do in Kentucky).
Yes, whisky is the Scottish spelling and possibly for the rest of the UK, and whiskey is the Irish for whisky!
As explained below, whiskey is the Irish for whiskey and whisky is the English-language spelling (NOT “the Scottish spelling”) for the product distilled in Scotland!
Well, at least it’s for a very famous distillery. 😉
“Before anyone complains about the spelling, in Scotland ‘whisky’ is spelled without an ‘e’ “
Surely this has nothing to do with different spellings for the same product. The “whisky” distilled in Scotland is spelled “whisky”, not just in Scotland: in the English language “whiskey” is the name for totally different groups of products distilled in Ireland, the US and elsewhere other than Scotland. Using “whiskey” for the products distilled in Scotland is like calling Prosecco Champagne! Calling products not distilled in Scotland “whisky” is (sometimes deliberately?) misleading.
Suntory makes whisky, and it is highly regarded.
Not quite as highly as The Macallan, of course!
Would have been better if when she opened her violin case there was a giant bottle of hooch under the cloth.
Nothing new here. Eugene Fodor advertised a brand of whisky — or is it spelled …. heck, let’s punt and call it “hard liquor” — during the first phase of his meteoric career before things turned very sad. Let’s hope for Ms Benedetti’s sake the parallels stop there.
I wouldn’t mind if it were an ad for a car, a wristwatch, or something else harmless, but whisky is liquid poison — she should be ashamed of herself.