'Ballentine's Golf Club' Launches McGinley Fronted 'Call The Shots' Interactive Game Video

A few days ahead of the first tee-time, Ballentine’s whisky leverages Ryder Cup excitement by offering golf fans a chance to take on Ryder Cup legend Paul McGinley in an interactive video called ‘Call The Shots’.

This virtual game, developed with production outfit Just So, at Ballantine’s Golf Club sees users play McGinley on a par five hole as the former Ryder Cup star challenges players to make decisions on club selection to strategy from tee to green.

This gamified learning experience (which can be played here) aims to test the user’s course management abilities only allowing players to shoot the lowest score possible if they make the right call for every stroke.

This virtual game is the latest part of the whisky brand’s ongoing Ballantine’s Golf Club concept, based around the US/Europe golf tournament and created in tandem with agency M&C Saatchi Sport and Entertainment.

The brand’s golf strategy builds on its long term golf heritage via a blend of digital, social and experiential work, global PR belnding with a strategic golf sponsorship programme.

The Ballantine’s Golf Club pertains to be ‘the world’s first online golf club: a place where members can join a global community of passionate enthusiasts’.

It is inspired by golf and its lifestyle and aimed at ‘those who share an appreciation of golf and a love of fine whisky’.

The platform offers golf fans unique content, money-can’t-buy experiences and prizes ((one fan and a friend will win a chance to test their golf skills and course management ability in the real world by playing a round with Paul McGinley), as well as the brand’s inspirational ‘Moment of Truth’ film series fronted by McGinley (the ‘Club Captain’ of the Europe Ryder Cup team)

and Ian Poulter.

2014 Ryder Cup winning captain Paul McGinley fronts this film series, shot on the Dirleton Links course at Archerfield Links Golf Club in Scotland, which are hosted on the Ballantine’s Golf Club website at www.ballantinesgolfclub.com/calltheshots.

The club, which is free to join, offers member experiences that are delivered via ‘Win Now’ using premium rewards, ‘Watch Now’ with exclusive content and ‘Play Now’ through the member only tournament, the Ballantine’s International Cup.

‘Call the Shots is a fantastic concept that continues golf’s evolution in the digital world,’ comments McGinley.

‘As pioneers of the digital revolution in golf, we are very proud to launch our Call the Shots series with our club captain Paul McGinley,’ explains Prestige Brands (Ballantine’s parent) global brand director Peter Moore.

‘As the world’s first online golf club, we are committed to providing our members with engaging and exclusive content in an innovative way they won’t find anywhere else. Call the Shots represents exactly what our modern club has been built on, by taking the traditional elements of golf to the next level.’

Just So co-founder Jonny Madderson explained that the concept of the interactive video was inspired by the idea of how fun would it be for golfers of all ability to play a hole and test their skill with one of the world’s best golfers.

‘Interactive videos can sound good in a PR hook, but the actual experience is often underwhelming,’ added Madderson.

‘It can feel like a gimmick; interactive video for its own sake. With Call the Shots, the idea came first and then our bespoke tech was designed to deliver what was needed. We want people to remember the fun of the film, not the technology. The viewer has to weigh up situations, consider strategy and make the right call. Play it right and an eagle is up for grabs, get it wrong and you could make a triple bogey. It’s a really fun experience.’

Comment

The interactive gaming film is inventive, helpful and fun.

It is certainly on-trend in terms of the rise and rise of gamification activations across the sports sponsorship and sports advertising landscape.

(Although one might wonder whether the core golfing and whisky drinking demographic is similarly on-trend.)

It is a fresh and welcome addition to the brand’s online Golf Club content offering (after all, the films aren’t new).

In fact, the ‘Moment Of truth’ films have been posted on the site for some time now: McGinley’s video has been on Ballantine’s YouTube page since 10 July 2015 and has notched up only 4,800 view, while the Poulter spot has been on the brand’s YouTube channel since October 2014 and has just 1,500 YouTube views.

Ballantine’s has a longstanding association with golf (dating back to 1960 when it’s first tournament sponsorship deal was signed with Wentworth) and the sport sits towards the centre of its global marketing as well as targeting specific key markets (from Europe through to Asian countries such as Korea, China and Taiwan).

Ballantine’s sponsors European Tour events ranging from the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open to the BMW Masters in Shanghai – butt not the Ryder Cup itself..

Links

Ballantine’s Golf Club:

https://www.ballantinesgolfclub.com/en/calltheshots/

Ballantine’s YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/user/ballantines

Ballantine’s Twitter:

https://twitter.com/ballantines

Ballantine’s Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Ballantines/

Ballantine’s Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/ballantines_official/

Ballantine’s Google+: