Born Then Bred
The Chivas Tone of Voice Compendium.
Being Chivas Regal.
.
First, an honourable agreement between Why do we need this book? Well my friend, it’s to help us all deliver a consistent voice for Chivas. And a consistent voice means a more recognisable brand. We all want Chivas to become the World’s most iconic whisky. And we want to create a true connection with our audience.
e friends. The following pages will help us do that. In them we’ll discuss our personality, share examples of our voice and directions on how to write it. All we ask is that you respect these guidelines and in return we’ll support you in any way we can. An honourable agreement over a glass of Chivas. Shake on it?
Never mix business – said someone bori
s with pleasure ing.
Who are we? Think of Chivas Regal as a man. Honourable and charismatic. Quick-witted and entertaining. A man who lives a sociable and successful life. Some spirits brands are the dancers. We’re the man leaning on the bar swapping stories with laughing friends. The one that says “This one is on me” You are that man. Yes, you reading this now. That’s the mindset you should get into before typing a word.
The friend, compadr comrade, brother. We’re a friend of our audience. A brother to our reader. Part of the group, the club, the team. We talk with them, not at them.
re, This:
Friendship improves with age. Remind you of anything? (inclusive, conversational, friendly)
Not this: If you’re true to your friends and your heart, you deserve the World’s finest blended Scotch whisky. (serious, sentimental, corporate)
The perfect host. An instigator of good times. And purveyor of perfect manners. We charm the crowd. Entertain the group. We create something out of nothing. Start a trend by accident. We’re the soul of a party. The social glue. Our hand-shake makes friends feel at ease. And so should everything we say.
This:
Entertaining should always be, well, entertaining. (assured, conversational, witty)
Not this: A man always asks himself ‘How does one make his guests comfortable?’ (serious, preachy, old-fashioned)
The storyteller. When we raise an eyebrow, a wave of anticipation surges through the room. Another story? Think of your press ad or digital execution as a room full of people. Your audience. We don’t preach or dictate. We prefer to entertain. We have a witty tale for every occasion. Big adventures and small. And so do our friends. “Hey, tell the one where we jumped on that train to nowhere”.
This:
Stories are currency. Spend freely. (passionate, conversational, inclusive)
Not this: You’re not a real man unless you have some good stories to tell. (arrogant, preachy, serious)
The Wikipedia of luxury living. People call us for recommendations. We know the best places to eat, drink and holiday. What to wear, how to wear it and where to get it. And if we don’t, we know a man who does.
This:
The perfect end to a dinner party? When everyone stays for breakfast. (assured, conversational, entertaining)
Not this: Forget about Old Father Time and the call of the bed. Stay up late and mix with your fellow man until dawn. (old-fashioned, overly-intellectual, serious)
Sleep? You can do it on the
e way back.
Who are we talking t Modern Men. Men like us. Chivas Regal men. They are stylish, courteous, and smooth. They are men who live a luxurious life but are down-to-earth. Their success isn’t measured by wealth, but confidence, honour and charisma. They aim to be the kind of man that friends’ love and peers respect.
to? Local Men. Knowing your local audience makes it easier to talk to them about the things they care for. It’s how we become relatable. How we become part of their group. Every market is different, so we should try to combine local culture with what we know about Modern Men.
How we speak. Well, we speak like you. A modern, charming, grown-up. We’re direct, conversational and speak our minds, like all good friends do. We avoid phrases that make the reader feel outside the group. We want to make them smile and think.
Be clear, we may feel like poets but we don’t talk like one. We don’t use colloquialism, puns or sarcasm. We speak to an international audience, with language an international audience can understand. Like our personality, be entertaining. People don’t read ad slogans or marketing terms. They read stories, tales, witty anecdotes, dinner-time declarations.
What we talk about: We talk about responsible revelry. Friendship and socialising. Our attitude to living. Everything we say should inspire people to call friends, go to a bar and order a Chivas Regal.
What we say in Social media: We like to tell a good story. And we like to make people laugh. Social media allows us to do both. We don’t post headlines. We start conversations and debates. More importantly, we listen. These following examples are short, conversational, humorous and inclusive. They understand how the social space is used and play with well-known social media language.
Social media examp
ples:
(conversational, humorous, inclusive)
‘What did you do at Asked a friend with on his hands.
the weekend?’ a lot of time
What we say is: Assured Entertaining Witty Passionate Inclusive Friendly Conversational International
It is not: Arrogant Immature Overly-intellectual Serious Old-fashioned Sentimental Preachy Corporate
Before copy leaves y desk, use this check
It’s confident and entertaining but not arrogant (the It sounds modern, direct and clear. It avoids fancy words just to sound clever. It feels premium, yet down-to-earth. It doesn’t used 100 words, when ten will suffice.
It doesn’t tell people how to live. We’re your friend, n No marketing speak.
It avoids over-use of the term ‘Gentlemen’. Chivas dr It leaves the audience smiling, then thinking.
your klist:
ere can be a fine line).
not your mother.
rinkers know who they are.
Glass half full. That’s a proper mea
asure.
The final word. First impressions count. Even though we treat our audience as close friends, we also craft everything we write as if it’s the first time someone has read it. Somewhere in the World it will be. Engage them with our personality, and wet their appetite for more. Have them wanting to stay around that little bit longer and join us for another drink.
The final, final word Try having a laugh, and maybe a glass, when writing for Chivas. Here’s to real friends.
d.
Save the best til last What a terrible idea.
t? .
Born Then Bred
Thanks for listening, or reading... or... uh, whatever, you know what I mean. Aaron ‘Brought out of retirement for one last case’ Hinchion aaronhinchion@aaronhinchion.com +44 7966 029 018 aaronhinchion.com