Ballantine's 7 goes from Glasgow to NYC in new spot

Following three British Arrows nominations for his debut commercial Bolt, Thomas James’ latest spot through Crispin Porter + Bogusky further establishes the director as a rising talent and one to watch in advertising.

In this beautifully crafted and technically challenging film for Ballantine’s 7 American Barrel, James takes the flawless blending of nuanced flavours in the bottle, and places them on the screen in an intelligent, technically subtle and hypnotising manner. Embracing the mantra “Scotch whiskey, American attitude.”

Shot in a gloriously meandering single take, the story revolves around a bar as it transforms from Glasgow pub to Brooklyn dive bar, all before our very eyes. As if Scotland to New York were as simple as whiskey bottle to glass.

In order to achieve this all in-camera, a moveable set was specially designed, allowing sections to slide in or out and rotate, with actors changing clothes while the camera rolled. The result is a cinematic and effortless merging of two very idiosyncratic worlds, much like Ballantine’s 7 itself.

The commercial, produced by OB Management, warrants multiple views to appreciate the skill and ingenuity on show here.

The essence of originality, creativity and enthusiasm for the craft lies at the core of Thomas’ work, a desire to create films that challenge and speak to his unique creative flair.