Instagram publishing is all the rage. Earlier this week, we wrote about RPA's Jason Sperling releasing his new book on the photography app. And now, Ballantine's is publishing a new magazine about whisky exclusively on Instagram.
The magazine, which Ballantine's is calling an "Insta-zine," is titled W. The first issue can be found at @w_issueone on Instagram. (It's linked from Ballantine's Instagram account, of course.) Created by London agency Work Club, the magazine features a mosaic-style grid of images that together make up the front page. Tapping on individual posts leads you to different articles.
There are three articles in the first issue: "The Rise of Bitter Drinks," which visually explores cocktails with a bitter taste profile; "Did the Sims Introduce Mixology to the Masses?" which looks at the connection between mixology and the popular Sims game; and "The Women Shaping Whisky," featuring interviews with three such women.
"We are confident that the concept and the content of the Ballantine's Insta-zine will excite whisky, design and pop-culture enthusiasts alike as we continue to bring the proud heritage of our whisky into a dynamic digital future," says Peter Moore, Ballantine's global brand director.
Brands have toyed around with the Instagram grid before, of course. One of our favorite examples was last year's brilliantly art-directed campaign by Mazda and JWT Canada. The downside of such campaigns, of course, is that people don't typically consume Instagram images in grid form, but rather in a feed—where fully art directed grids fall apart.
Check out more images from the Ballantine's campaign below.
