Landing on Planet Ardbeg

Planet Ardbeg is the Pirelli Calendar of comic magazines, full stop.

Islay, a small island off the Scottish coast, is a place that’s earned a mythical reputation. Scottish by law deems it one of the rare locations allowed to claim the production of “scotch”, and of the nine distilleries actively producing there, Ardbeg is one of most recognizable.

The distinct peaty taste of Ardbeg, that “smokey” flavor for those who don’t know the lingo, is known the world over, but they’ve recently been remixing their traditional output into new and exotic expressions. How do you let the world know about these masterful science experiments which combine chemistry, history, and playful aesthetics? You partner with someone like artist  Ronald Wimberly and let them go wild. 

Wemberly is most famous for his groundbreaking visual culture broadsheet LAAB and his Shakespearean graphic novel “B-Side” to Romeo and Juliet, Prince of Cats. Together Ardbeg and Wemberly conceived Planet Ardbeg.

I’m normally jaded over these kinds of brand collaborations, but Wemberly is so genuinely committed to this creative endeavor that I can’t help but take it as seriously as any other project. The obvious influence of Mobius hangs in the atmosphere of the project and Wemberly isn’t shy about saying so. 

Watch this two minute making of video and you’ll feel how infectious his enthusiasm for the project is. 

Planet Ardbeg the new gold standard for these branded collaborations and I hope to see more projects taking things to this level as companies increasingly look for innovative activations.