Update, Dec. 17: Johnnie Walker has provided Refinery29 with the following statement about the spec ad from Guy Escolme, Johnnie Walker Global Brand Director:
"We have reached out to Daniel and Dorian but have not been able to connect with them at this point. We simply wanted to congratulate them on a beautifully crafted piece of film. The brand had no direct connection to the creation of this spot, but we're proud that the work that Johnnie Walker has created over the years has inspired these talented young artists in this way. Our newest iteration of the Keep Walking campaign, Joy Will Take You Further, is all about celebrating people who use joy and passion as the catalyst to their personal progress. It is clear through their work that they love what they do and that has driven them to this success.
As a human truth, people want to progress. They want their tomorrow to be better than their today. Over the last 15 years, that insight has created a great deal space for creativity and it is wonderful to see fans of the brand artistically exploring that area as well."
This post was originally published on December 14, 2015.
This post was originally published on December 14, 2015.
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This spec ad isn't officially affiliated with Johnnie Walker, but it'll still have you wanting a bottle of the brand's whiskey (along with a few tissues).
The video, "Dear Brother," is from Germany, and it features two brothers walking in Scotland's Isle of Skye, apparently where the brothers grew up. A narrator explains that the pair felt "free" in the mountains, which served as their childhood "playground."
"We were wanderers," the narrator says, as the brothers approach a farmhouse, and then drink Johnnie Walker. "Never lost, always home."
After the pair share the whiskey, the ad takes a darker turn — one of the brothers has been reminiscing about the loss of his brother, it wasn't in actual time. The memory of drinking Johnnie Walker in the Scottish landscape is all he has left of his brother, but it is enough.
"In your mind, I'm free," the narrator says at the end of the video. Although the ad isn't affiliated with Johnnie Walker, it brilliantly plays off the brand's actual slogan, "Keep walking."
As the materialism of the holiday season reaches full force, this ad is a sweet reminder of what's really important. The memories of loved ones, whether they're still on Earth or not, and time spent with others, is what you'll most cherish years from now. There's no word yet on whether Johnnie Walker will adapt the spec ad, which was created by students at the Film Academy of Baden-Württemberg, but it's a heartwarming video either way.