Dewar’s whisky, a brand of Hamilton, Bermuda-based Bacardi Ltd., is celebrating the launch of Dewar’s Scratched Cask with a 360-degree virtual reality experience and marketing campaign. By visiting www.Scratched360.com, consumers can follow the scratching and charring process involved in the creation of the brand on their mobile phones, tablets and desktop. Dewar’s also will offer customized virtual reality viewers at select retailers across the country as well as shipping directly to consumers — through social media and the website — enabling consumers to feel as if they are in Scotland experiencing the process, the company says.               

"Dewar’s is proud of the time and dedication that goes into the creation of our whisky, and we are excited for fans to gain a better understanding of exactly how our products are made," said Dan Pilas, vice president and brand managing director of Dewar’s Blended Scotch Whisky Portfolio, in a statement. "Virtual reality gives us the unique opportunity to share our passion and give consumers a closer look at our home in Scotland."

Dewar’s Scratched Cask uses American white oak barrels from its bourbon counterparts to create a smooth and flavorful whisky, the company says. Viewers of Scratched360 follow the barrels across the Atlantic, then journey to the cooperage and warehouse to see the Scotch making process firsthand. By the end of the video, consumers have an in-depth understanding about how this whisky is made, it adds.

The process "isn't easy, but if it was, it wouldn't be worth it," National Brand Ambassador Gabriel Cardarella tells viewers as he closes the video with an introduction to the Master Blender and visionary of the product, Stephanie MacLeod.

Dewar’s also will host events around the country. A custom-built, 10-foot tall replication of an American white oak bourbon barrel brandished with the Dewar’s logo will travel across the country, starting Oct. 10 in Chicago and will continue on to Louisville, Ky., New York City and Miami, throughout the month.

Consumers of legal drinking age will be invited to step into the barrel for a 360-degree, 4-D projection mapping video experience that further illuminates the charring and scratching process, the company says. They also will be able to sample the product (according to state regulations) and have an opportunity to test the virtual reality viewers and to use a "groover" tool to graffiti a wall of charred wood to experience the scratching process.

Consumers who participate will receive sample of Dewar’s Scratched Cask at an approved local account, and will be invited to visit Dewar’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/DewarsUS to find out more about when and where the barrel will make an appearance in their hometown.                            

Scratched360 will be amplified with a digital media plan. Media will focus on banner takeovers, sponsored headlines, rich media on mobile platforms as well as homepage takeovers, dedicated email blasts to readers at specific outlets and social media promotion. The brand will utilize YouTube360, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr and Twitter as points of entry, releasing exclusive content and macro-photography to further showcase the DEWAR'S Scratched Cask process.